The Monster in the 21st Century improved
by Emo.Gypsy
Summary: Based on my one with the monster in high school, but better and more intersting and this time he's got a cool eccentric family.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, here's the first chapter, hopefully this one will be a bit more interesting (if not stranger) than the first one. Chapter one is just describing the characters and the house, I hope you enjoy it!**

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**Chapter 1**

On the edge of a cliff was an old graveyard; it was quite large and surrounded by a metal fence that was rusty in places. Many of the graves were overgrown and forgotten while others were shadowed by the house.

In the middle of the graveyard was a house. It was situated on a mound that served as a platform and had some stone steps leading up to the massive old oak door.

If you were to open up the door and step inside you would find yourself in a massive room with a kitchen in one corner, a fire with a sofa in front of it in another and a round dining table in the other corner. In the fourth and final corner, there was a massive window with a window seat.

A flight of stairs led up to the first floor in which there were two bedrooms, a bathroom and another flight of stairs leading up to the attic that was converted into another, bigger bedroom.

Despite its age and location, the house felt alive. This could possibly be attributed to its name, Resurrection House which its owner had christened it as a sort of joke. However, the most likely reason for the house in the graveyard's feel of life was the inhabitants.

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The house had six inhabitants all together. Firstly, there was the owner, Henry who was an undertaker with a habit of collecting antiques. He already had so many filling up the house, but as soon as he saw one that he liked, resistance was nearly always futile. He also had a lot from his parents who during their life; had shared his interest in antiques and Henry vowed to himself that he would keep up the collection.

Next there was Cady, his niece who was an artist and had come to live with him to be inspired by the countryside. She was scatty and active, but somehow withdrawn. Painting was not only her career, but her main hobby, so much so that the clothes she wore sometimes had a bit of paint on them, not that this bothered her much, she just argued that people wear tops with pictures of cherries on them so why not real paint?

Cady's brother Leo also lived in Resurrection house, but he was not an artist, he was a dater imputer, but in his spare time he liked to write stories. Unfortunately he rarely ever finished them either because of a writers block, but usually because of a new idea that he couldn't wait to get started on.

Sally was a friend of Henry's and she had lived with him ever since she had been pregnant with her only daughter Kayla. Sally took a great interest in the paranormal and spirituality. She also spend time investigating the intelligence of animals, determined to prove that they were as intelligent as humans. She owned a great collection of books on the paranormal and nature along with crystal balls, PSI wheels and other mysterious objects that no one else in the house knew how to work.

The fifth inhabitant of the house was Sally's daughter Kayla. She did not show a great interest in the paranormal like her mother, but it was said that she took after her father; this didn't mean much to her as she had never met him, but she had heard from Sally and Henry that he was a mechanic. Her main interest was machinery. She was fascinated by bits of circuitry and was constantly taking electrical appliances apart and other times she read instruction books on how to fix household appliances. The local mechanic was even kind enough to give her lessons on how to fix cars, though he said himself that it was a pleasure to teach someone who was willing.

The final inhabitant was Azan. He was tall and very strong, but scars striped across his face and body, distorting him and giving him an appearance of menace. However, despite his disturbing appearance, he had a great interest in music and had been taught to play both the piano and the guitar. He also took pleasure in bird watching with Kayla (who was quite protective over him). Azan was the adopted son of Henry who cared for him deeply and treated him like a son.

It was certain that the inhabitants of Resurrection House were not usual, but there was a kindness and lively about them that was seldom found in other families. They stood by each other and cared for each other. Azan was particularly happy, when he got home, he was no longer a freak, he was a person, he was himself.

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**Okay, I'm hoping to upload chapter two soon and just as a warning, I have no clue of as to where this story is going, but I'll just see where the river of my imagination take me!**

**Thanks for reading! ;D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, this chapter's very short, but I'm not sure about you, but while reading something on the internet I prefer it to be split up, plus short chapters give less away (hopefully) making readers want to read more.**

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**Chapter 2**

"Azan! Wake up!" someone called

Azan opened his eyes sleepily to see Leo leaning over him. He groaned and pulled himself up in bed yawning.

"God I'm tired."

Leo yawned. "So am I, but I've got work and you've got school."

"Oh God" Azan sighed.

Leo looked at him more seriously. "Azan, is Aaron still giving you trouble?" he enquired.

"I prefer not to talk about it" Azan replied.

Leo opened his mouth, about to say something else about Aaron, but then decided against it. He decided to change the subject. "Kayla starts your school today" he reminded him.

"Yes." Azan climbed out of bed, he wanted to be able to walk Kayla to school on her first day. He was about to get dressed when he heard Cady calling from the kitchen.

"Sally! Azan! Get down here now!" she bellowed throughout the house.

She sounded half angry, half amused, if that was possible.

Azan ran down the stairs into the kitchen. Sally was standing by the door looking slightly bemused while Cady was sitting on the table looking round the floor slightly paranoid.

"What is it?" Sally asked calmly.

"That!" Cady shrieked pointing.

They followed the direction of her finger. She was pointed to a piece of cheese lying on the floor.

"Yes, it's a piece of cheese on the floor" said Azan.

"Why is there a piece of cheese on the floor?!" Cady asked him.

"I put it there" he replied calmly.

"Yes, but why?"

"Well, dormouse are an endangered species and I thought that this house could be like a dormouse sanctuary" he explained.

"Excuse me" Sally interrupted. "But, why did you call me down here?"

Cady turned to her, a little more calm now. "It's the piece of paper next to it that says 'Dormouse sanctuary owned by Sally Fairworth'. They can't even read!"

"Well, they have lived in houses for a good deal of generations so there is a possibility that they could work out the meaning of words" she explained.

Cady smiled as Azan helped her down from the table. She may have been afraid of mice, but sometimes in their rush attempt to save endangered species they would often forget the impracticalities of it. "Okay, but try and do it somewhere else like outside."

"Okay" Azan and Sally agreed simultaneously.

Azan picked up the cheese while Sally picked up the paper.

"I'll laminate this at work and tonight we'll set it up" she told him.

"Yeah cool" he replied in a flat voice. With all the commotion with the Dormouse sanctuary, he had forgotten about school.

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He went upstairs to get dressed. Ever since he had started this school three years ago, he had secretly hoped every year that there would be a new pupil who would befriend him, but every year, no one did. Still, he reflected, this year was a new key stage, the year they started their GCSE's, maybe there would be someone, he just had to wait and see.

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**Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed that chapter.**

**BTW, GCSE's are a qualification taken in England**

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	3. Chapter 3

**Okay so here's chapter 3. Thankyou for all your comments!**

**Oh and just as a warning, this chapter has a bit of swearing in it, but remember that Aaron (one of the new characters) is a bully.**

**Also he is similer to the Aaron in my other 'Frankenstein's Monster in High School' fanfic (btw, I've removed it and replaced it with this one which is very different and improved) and Aaron doesn't have a crush on her.**

**Chapter 3**

Heather sat in the back to the car feeling a little nauseous with nerves. Her first day at her new secondary school. She hated coming into a new school part way through because everyone would know each other and that made it harder to make friends. She was glad that her cousin, Aaron went there too and they were in the same year. Aaron told her that they'd probably put her in the same form as him as they knew each other already. This took a bit of weight off her shoulders, but it didn't take the full weight away.

She leaned over to Aaron. "What if they tease me because of my accent? Compared to everyone here, I sound dead common."

He smiled at her. "Well, I have loads of mates and if anyone dares pick on you, they'll regret it!"

She leaned back in her seat glad that Aaron, not only her cousin, but her friend all the way through childhood was there to look out for her in her new school.

The terror grew worse as the car pulled into the school; the pupils were everywhere all wearing the same bottle green blazer.

Her father parked the car. "Aaron you go off to form, I'll take Heather to head's office."

"Thanks for the lift uncle Pete!" said Aaron as he left for form.

Heather and her father climbed out of the car and made their way to the head mistress's office.

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Azan sat at his desk in form, alone as usual. He had seen Kayla that morning skipping off to join the other year sevens, happy.

However the walk there had been awkward because Kayla had never walked with Azan alone before and his journeys to school were one of the only times he left the graveyard.

She hated the people who just stared and stared at him. One man just stood still and stared and stared; this was too much for Kayla.

"Stop bloody staring you ignorant bastard!!!" she bellowed.

The man blushed and moved on, but his red face was nothing compared to Azan's who pulled Kayla aside and half scolded her, but they had a laugh about it a few moments later.

"At least you taught him a lesson he won't forget in a hurry" he had said to her.

He was grinning in form just thinking about it.

"What are fucking grinning at?" Aaron demanded.

Azan jumped violently, he hadn't even been aware that Aaron had arrived in the form room. "Nothing! Just remembering something funny" he stammered.

"Oh! Like when you looked in the mirror this morning?"

He and a few of the other people in form laughed. Azan blushed, but turned away willing himself not to cry.

'Don't cry!' he thought. 'Whatever you do, you mustn't cry!'

"He's trying not to cry!" Aaron exclaimed as if he could read Azan's mind.

"You may look tough, but inside you're just sweet and sensitive" said one of Aaron's friend in a mock voice.

"Shut up!" Azan exclaimed.

"How are you going to make us?" Aaron enquired defiantly.

Azan didn't reply. He just fished in his bag, pulled out a book on birds that Sally had lent him and began to read in hope of blocking them out.

"Sorry no books in here, this is a geek free zone" said Aaron.

He was about to grab the book when Mr. Lawson walked on. At once Aaron and everyone else shot back to their places.

"Right! Welcome back to Dawnwood High!..."

He was interrupted by a loud cheer from his form.

"Settle down!" he ordered, trying to sound cross, but his failing was obvious by his grin. When the cheering had stopped, he began talking again. "Now, this year will be harder than all the other years as this is the year you begin your GCSE's and though it's important to work hard, you need to relax too. You need to enjoy your last two years here and cherish them" he told them. He looked round his class and gave a big smile. He peered through the glass on the door and sighted the school secretary Ms. Harper coming down the corridors with the new girl. "And this year, we have a new pupil who should be arriving shortly."

Just then on queue there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!"

The door opened and Ms. Harper came in; she stepped aside and Azan got a glimpse of the new girl. She was of mixed race and of average height; her hair was in a ponytail with a few rebellious curls escaping and she wore a shy smile.

"This is Heather West" said Ms. Harper introducing her to the class.

Aaron smiled at her; maybe she could be the one who would be his friend. He knew he shouldn't feel like this, but his hopes kept rising. She hadn't seen him.

Ms. Harper turned to Aaron. "She's your cousin isn't she?"

"Yes" Aaron replied.

Azan's heart plummeted; now there was no chance, if she was his cousin she would probably be like him. Discreetly he opened his (or Sally's) book on birds and began to read. Nature to combat his disappointment.

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**Just remember that when Kayla swore she was defending Azan and besides, I think that guy sort of deserved it don't you? ;D**

**Please leave a comment, constructive critism welcome! If you think that Heather is a sue just tell me!**

**Thanks for reading! :)**

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	4. Chapter 4

**Okay here's chapter 4! :)**

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**Chapter 4**

It may have been a new year, but for Azan it seemed the same. He was still alone and friendless and to make matters worse Aaron had someone new in his group of friends, one more enemy. However he did have a bit of fun at break because he could go into the library and as a result of something that he had done last year, Aaron been banned from it. So Aaron and his mates were stuck out in the drizzly rain peering in at Azan through the window while Azan grinned at them cheerfully.

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As soon as the bell went he put the book on birds back into his bag, ran out so fast that they couldn't catch up with him and dashed into his next lesson which was history. He breathed a sigh of relief because Aaron wasn't in his history class; last year he had said very loudly that he was glad that he could drop history because it was so boring. What was also a bonus was that the teacher was Mrs. Perkins who seeming never left the classroom; she was in there at that very moment marking some work from the previous class.

It was true that no one in that class spoke to him very often; he suspected that they were afraid of offending him so it was just easier not to have any communication, but he considered it a whole lot better than them treating him like Aaron and his friends did.

Just then Mrs. Perkins stood up. "Okay, silence everyone!" she yelled.

The chatter of everyone faded into a silence.

"Thank you. Now, some of you may have had me as a teacher before, but for those of you who haven't my name is Mrs. Perkins." She turned round and wrote it on the whiteboard then faced her class. "If you have had me before you will know that I am not too strict about seating arrangements so you can sit wherever you like, however, if you don't work and just mess around, I will move you, is that understood?"

Everyone nodded.

"Good. There will be deadlines for the homework and if you don't think you can meet a deadline, just talk to me and we can arrange something. Okay?"

Again everyone agreed.

"Okay, now I'll just give you a breakdown of the course…"

She was interrupted when the door opened.

Azan felt his stomach shrink with fear. It was Aaron's cousin. He struggled to recall her name. Hazel? Hannah? 'Something beginning with 'h' at any rate' he thought.

She looked embarrassed. "Sorry I'm late miss, I got lost" she stammered in her thick cockney accent.

Mrs. Perkins smiled at her. "It's okay." Then she looked harder at her. "I don't think I've seen you before, are you new?"

"Yeah miss."

"Okay, sit down anywhere you like."

Everyone's eyes shifted towards the only spare seat, the seat beside Azan. Heather followed their gaze and sighted Azan. As he predicted a look of fear and a hint of disgust spread over her face, she tried to hide it, but it was too late, he had already seen. His stomach churned with the feeling of dread as she walked over to the desk and sat down beside him.

They were silent for the entire lesson; the tension between was so clear that you could almost touch it. As soon as the bell rang for lunch they both breathed a sigh of relief, happy to get away from each other.

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The rest of the day went by with no problems, but Azan could tell that Aaron was just being gentle to begin with. This was how he had done it every year; he began with little things, making nasty comments, to tripping him up and sometimes beating him up. Azan didn't want to fight back; he knew that he was stronger than Aaron and all his friends put together, but he was so terrified of hurting them. He remembered years ago getting into a fight, it was so long ago that he couldn't even remember how it started, but he knew that he had hurt someone and from that day on he had decided that he wouldn't hit anyone, even if they attacked him first, he would just endure it till they had finished. He was too afraid to tell anyone apart from Leo whom he shared a room with about Aaron.

When the bell rung for the end of the day he made his way to the tree at the front of the school where he had agreed to meet Kayla. On his way out he felt something hit him hard on the back of the head. He jumped violently and spun round to see Aaron standing behind him, a tennis ball clutched in his hand, grinning manically. "Hey freak! I managed to catch it!" he exclaimed.

Azan just ignored him and walked on.

Aaron grew annoyed. He threw the ball hard so that it landed around Azan's feet making him fall hard on the ground. He didn't get up until Aaron and his friends had passed him. He could hear their cruel laughter with Aaron saying "that's what you get for not listening to me!"

Heather kept turned away from him, refusing to meet his gaze or even look at him.

When they had gone he pulled himself up and proceeded to the tree where he had agreed to meet Kayla.

She was at the tree waiting and talking to some girls in year seven.

"Kayla!" he called.

She turned round. "Hey, Azan! This is Hannah, Olivia, Susan" she said introducing him to her friends.

They seemed a little nervous around him, but they shook his hand and said hi so he considered them okay.

Then he turned to Kayla. "Come on, let's go home, I've got a whole stack of homework to do."

"Okay" she replied. Then she turned to her friends. "Bye, see you tomorrow!"

They left the first day of term at Dawnwood school for home.

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**Hope you enjoyed that chapter and again, any sue alert, just tell me.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, this is probably the longest chapter I have written so far - so it's not that long at all. lol Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!**

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Chapter 5

Azan and Kayla were back from school. Azan was sitting at on the sofa eating a biscuit and reading while Kayla, in contrast seemed hyper, well, more than usual. She was standing up flicking through her homework diary and talking to Cady.

"Kayla, I thought that school was supposed to be draining, but it seems to have done the opposite to you" she observed.

"Yeah, but it was so exciting!" she exclaimed.

"So you've told me, several times."

"Sorry."

"Its fine" said Cady. "Hey, I'm going to go to the beach later to make a few quick sketches with Fiona and she's got an old radio that she doesn't want any more, I could pick it up for you if you want."

Kayla's eyes lit up. "Yes please!"

Cady smiled at her. "Okay."

Just then there was a slight pitter patter on the roof. It had begun to rain. Then there was a rumble of thunder followed by a flash of lightening. Azan jumped. He was afraid to tell anyone, but he was terrified of thunderstorms.

"Hey, I'm just going up to my room to do some homework" he lied ashamed of the truth.

"You don't want to watch the storm?" Kayla asked.

"No thank you I've got work to do." He grabbed his school bag and ran upstairs to his room.

Kayla shrugged and bounded over to the window seat. She always got a thrill from watching thunderstorms. She said it was one of her hobbies, but little did she know that just a few streets away Heather West was lying on her bed staring out of the window watching the large droplets of water cascading down from the sky as well.

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Azan huddled in a corner of the room holding his guitar. He was shivering with the fear of the storm. He didn't know why, but he had always been afraid, he did sometimes wonder if as well as being made out of them, he had also picked up their fears and skills which would explain his musical talent. He hated thinking about it, he felt as if he did not really own anything about himself, not even his personality.

His fingers began to strum a rhythm of their own accord and even though his hands were shaking slightly, he did make a single mistake. He didn't feel like singing at all so he just kept strumming out a tune and listened to himself play it.

This calmed him slightly, but it didn't help fully. He got his school bag and pulled out his ipod and the same book of birds that he had been reading earlier. If playing the guitar didn't calm him then, maybe reading and listening to music would.

Just then his mobile started ringing. He answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's Leo."

"Leo?" Azan sounded confused. "But aren't you in work?"

"Yep."

"I thought you weren't supposed to make personal calls during work hours."

"That would be correct" Leo replied.

"But, aren't you worried about getting fired?"

"No. I hate this job; it's ruining my creative inspiration" he moaned.

"You could get another job" Azan suggested.

"Hmm. How about a photographer?"

Azan's mind went back to the holiday photos from the year before. "Maybe not, no offence."

"Yeah, I suppose so, I've never had talent for taking photos" Leo agreed.

"I wouldn't say that after all, it's not easy to produce a load of holiday photos in with misty figures on each one" said Azan with a grin.

"Yeah" Leo replied sounding absent minded. "Hey, do you think I could write a story about someone who's a data imputer for so long that their brain turns to jelly?"

"That sounds… nice" Azan replied hesitantly.

"Okay, well, I should really be going now."

"Okay, bye!"

"Bye!" Leo hung up.

Azan noticed that the storm had passed. He breathed a sigh of relief and settled down to read.

"Azan!" someone called. It was Sally.

"Yes?" he yelled in return.

"It's time for the opening of the dormouse sanctuary!" she yelled.

He got up and stood at the top of the stairs.

"What?"

"It's time for the opening of the dormouse sanctuary!" she repeated.

He grinned slyly. "The dormouse what?"

"Sanctuary!"

He choked back his laughter. "What?"

She sighed. "How many more times do I Have to repeat myself? Then she bellowed "Sanctuary! Sanctuary! Sanctuary!"

He walked downstairs wearing a wide grin. "What were you quoting The Hunchback of Notre Dame for?" he enquired cheekily.

Cady and Kayla finally understood why he couldn't 'hear' as well as usual and began giggling.

Sally shook her head and rolled her eyes, but she two was smiling. "Come on Disney Clopin, it's time to set up the sanctuary."

"Can I come mum?" Kayla enquired.

Sally shrugged. "Sure."

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The three of them went out of the doors and into the graveyard.

"Where shall we set it up?" Kayla asked.

"I think that the edge would be a good place because it's safer and I don't think that people would like it if the graveyard was also a sanctuary for dormice" said Azan.

"Good thinking" said Sally.

They walked to a quiet corner of the graveyard. Azan laid down the piece of cheese and Sally put the piece of paper with the words 'Dormouse Sanctuary' written on it (now laminated) on the ground.

"If any dormice use it we could get Reggie to photograph them!" Kayla exclaimed.

"Yeah, that would cool" said Azan.

Kayla felt a drop of rain.

"I think it's starting to rain again."

Suddenly a whole host of rain drops fell heavily.

"I think you jinxed it Kayla" said Sally with a grin.

Kayla grinned sheepishly. "Sorry guys!"

"Let's get back, there could be a storm" Azan urged them trying to silence the hint of terror in his voice.

They began to move back to the house, the rain falling hard. They pulled of their jackets which were not waterproof and as a consequence were soaking wet.

"How was your swim in the river?" Leo commented with a wide grin when they got in.

They looked up to see him sitting at the table clutching glass full of coffee while writing something.

"Oh very funny" Azan replied sarcastically, but he too was smiling.

"Leo, why is your coffee in a glass?" Sally enquired. She had long since stopped asking him how his day had been because he always gave the same answer 'crappy'.

"Because after that boring day I needed to try something different" he replied. "Hopefully it should give me inspiration for my new story."

"Another one?"

"Yes Kayla, one in which the hero is a data imputer like myself and very slowly his brain is turned to sludge because of his boring job" he told them in a grim voice with a slightly comical overtone.

"Cool!" Kayla exclaimed.

"Yes, I am providing bored workers like myself an escape route! A witty and hilarious book that voices their opinions!"

"Well good for you" said Sally. She jolted. "Hey, has anyone seen Henry?"

"No" Leo replied.

"Nope" Cady replied from the sofa. She was drawing something on the wall, but as usual, no one really minded.

"I know nothing" said Kayla.

"Do you think he's okay?" Azan asked, a hint of worry creeping into his tone.

"He'll be fine Azan, just make yourself a cuppa, sit down and read" Sally told him.

"Yeah, just chill mate!" said Leo.

Azan sighed. "Alright."

He was about to make himself a cup of tea when the door burst open and standing there, very wet and clutching three carrier bags, was Henry.

"Hi guys! Sorry I'm late! But hey, I've brought Chinese to make up for it!" he announced.

There was silence.

"It's singapore chow mein and prawn crackers!" he yelled.

"Your work finishes at five o'clock, and now it's quarter to seven, where have you been?" Sally enquired.

"We think there's a ghost in work so I went to investigate" he told them.

"That's a reasonable excuse" said Sally.

"Yeah, let's have dinner" Leo said.

They sat down at the table while Leo got out the plates and Kayla poured out drinks. Sally decided that a bit of new age music would help the mood so she put on some music called 'Sounds of the Forest' for them to listen to while they had dinner.

Though Azan enjoyed himself, he began to feel scared as the hands on the clock moved forward, closer to a new day at school.

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**I hope you enjoyed that chapter. Just as a warning the others may be longer, I may even do a chapter describing several weeks, I don't want to hurry the plot too much especially as I've got an idea later on.**

**Thanks for being patient! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A short chapter here, hope you enjoy it**

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Chapter 6

The next day in school began with a rush. Azan didn't sleep much that night because he had a nightmare and there had been a massive thunderstorm so it was about half five when he fell into a deep sleep. He had come downstairs for breakfast and found out that it was nearly nine, when he saw the time he immediately rushed upstairs and put on his uniform and walked to school. Kayla had woken up early and gone to her friend's house before school so he was walking alone. He had walked into science late and got a detention and to make it worse Aaron was in his class and determined to make sure that he couldn't do any work.

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Lunch was no better because the library was shut so Azan had to hang around the quad ground and attempt to ignore the insults that Aaron and his gang threw at him. He wished he could read, but he was afraid that Aaron would take the book and possibly tear it.

Heather just stayed behind Aaron looking down at the ground. She did look into Azan's eyes once, but she looked away fast, terrified that if she carried on she would be hurled into making a difficult decision. Instead she reached into her pocket and her hand closed around something, she did this so discreetly that no one noticed, no one but Azan.

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When the bell rung for the end of school Azan wanted to go home, but he couldn't. He had an after school detention. It happened after lunch in maths.

For maths they had Mr. Walton who had a reputation for being very strict, there was even a rumor that he kept a cane in his cupboard. Unfortunately on this particular day he was worse than usual so Aaron had taken advantage of this and discreetly pushed Azan's text book on the floor along with all his pencils and pens and Azan was the one who got into trouble and was given an after school detention.

Some of Aaron's friends were in his last lesson and as they left they shot him looks of triumph, this would have made most people angry, but Azan no longer felt anger, just sadness. He only just managed to stop the tears from falling.

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It was raining on the way home that night; it seemed to rain more than every now, he didn't mind the rain, it was just the storms that sometimes took place. He was glad that the day of hell was over, glad to return home to Resurrection House, the only place in the world where he felt like a normal person.

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**Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay Chapter seven is up! Azan and Heather actually have a conversation, enjoy!**

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**Chapter 7**

Heather watched the rain cascade down from the sky while sitting in the chair in the corner of her room. She remembered how she had down this the evening before she started Dawnwood High. That evening she had been filled with excitement and anticipation of the day at her new school, the same school as her cousin Aaron.

Now she hated it, every day made her feel uncomfortable. Before she attended he was amazing. He stopped the other kids from bullying her as a kid and helped her fit in with them and at school now she was popular.

She got up and sat down at her desk. She pulled out a piece of lined A4 paper from a notepad on her desk, picked up a biro and began to write.

_Dear Mum,_

_Today Aaron tripped Azan up in class, it was awful, everyone was laughing at him, but I managed to see into his eyes and I just saw sadness. I thought that I was going to cry; I wanted to comfort him, but I know that I would get teased for doing that so I didn't._

_Since your death I've changed a lot, so much that sometimes I look in the mirror and I don't see me, I just see a stranger, a girl in the popular crowd at school. I haven't worn any of the clothes that I inherited from you, I'm sorry, but Aaron says that if I wear them I'll get bullied by the other people in the town. I want to wear those clothes, but I don't feel like I can, I don't want Aaron and his mates to turn on me, I've seen how they treat Azan and I don't want them to treat me like that._

_However, at the same time I wish I could be his friend; every night I think about how different my life would be if I was his friend. Aaron's told me a lot about Azan's family and though they sound pretty nuts, they also sound nice. I don't think he'd make sure that I was dressing in a way that I'd fit in, I know Aaron is just trying to protect me, but I'm sure he could find other ways of making sure that I'm not bullied by his friends._

_I think that I first wanted to befriend Azan when I heard him playing the guitar. It was in school and I offered to go to the staff room and ask if there were any of these text books left, I passed the music rooms on the way and there was a class in progress, Aaron's class. As I passed I heard a song, a really beautiful tune played on the guitar with a soft gentle voice singing. I stopped and peered through the window in the door to see who was playing. It was then that I got a big surprise, it was Azan. I didn't expect someone like him to have a voice like that and I know this is a strange comparison, but I thought that he sounded like I'd always imagined Erik from __Phantom of the Opera__ to sound and his voice touched me especially because it was a contrast to his appearance. I didn't say any of this to Aaron, he'd just tell me not to mention it around any of his friends incase they bully me. I am just tired of being someone who I don't want to be, someone who I'm not. What do I do mum?_

_With lots of love, Heather_

Heather put the lid back on her pen and put in the pot of other pens and pencils. She read through the letter trying to imagine what her mum would have said if she had received this letter.

She could hear her mum's voice very clearly in her mind. 'Has Azan done anything wrong?' her mum would ask though the question was more rhetorical than a query.

It was then that she saw what she had to do, it was simple, but to her it seemed almost impossible.

* * *

It was Thursday and Heather had history first lesson. She was later than Azan as usual, she didn't know how, but apart from one time, he always seemed to be on time. She sat down beside him.

"Hi Azan!" she exclaimed with a grin.

He looked at her surprised. "Um, hey" he replied shyly.

There was an awkward silence while Heather mentally cursed herself for not thinking of something to talk to him about before. She didn't want to talk to him about how she had heard him singing straight away. Then she had an idea, she could start by talking to him about music in general. She noticed how tense he was, almost like he was slightly afraid of her. She felt a pang of guilt.

"What music do you like?" she enquired, feeling a bit awkward.

"I like a bit of rock, but musicals are good." He blushed and avoided eye contact.

'He's awfully shy, or maybe it's because of Aaron' she thought to herself, dreading that her own cousin could have caused his shyness.

"Heather?" he said suddenly.

"Yes?"

"We've shared a desk for several weeks now and you didn't talk to me so why now?" he didn't sound angry, just calm and naturally inquisitive.

"Well, I just thought that as we sit next to each other, we should talk, just a bit."

There was a silence, but this time it was not awkward, just as they were thinking.

"Do you like to read?" he asked.

"A bit" she replied uncertainly.

"Why don't we meet in the library this break?" he suggested.

"What!"

"In the library" he repeated calmly.

She sighed. "Sorry I can't, I hang out with Aaron at break."

He looked with his deep expressive brown eyes. "And I usually hang out with no one: I am not afraid of a change and neither should you be. So, are we still on for break?" he enquired growing more confident.

Just then Mrs. Perkins stood up. "Okay! Let's begin!" she announced.

"I'll think about it" she whispered.

Indeed she did think about it and it was then that she realized that she was in a difficult situation, and then she decided that she would tell Aaron that she had a project to do. She felt a little guilty about lying to Aaron, but it couldn't be helped.

At the end of the lesson she stamped a pink post it note to Azan's side of the desk. 'Okay, we're on' it said.

* * *

Heather sat down at one of the tables in the library and pulled out her sketch book. She was on the stage of colouring a picture of a fox. She had book on wildlife out in front of her. She was drawing the fox that she had seen that morning on the way to school. Heather remembered it (well, him or her) looking at her with their sharp and beautiful eyes, it was ordinary everyday events with nature that inspired her so much that she always had to draw them and write them down in her sketchbook, the photos were just there as a template to jog her memory. She made sure that her pencils were sharp so she could do the blending and get a good texture for the fur.

"Hey, that's good!" Azan exclaimed.

Heather blushed as she did when anyone complimented any of her drawings. "Thanks, I saw the fox this morning and I just had to record the event in both writing and pictures in my sketchbook."

"You record everything you find inspiring?" he asked sitting down beside her.

"Yes, even small things like a bird landing on a tree branch." She blushed again. "I expect you find this weird."

"Well considering that my adoptive family consists of an undertaker with a fascination with zombies, an artist who drinks paint water, a writer who can never stick to one story, a librarian who practices telekinesis and an eleven-year-old who is constantly taking machinery apart then I don't think that getting inspired by small things is strange."

She smiled gently "Your family sound weird, but kind of cool" she told him.

"Maybe you could come round to mine sometime and meet them" he suggested.

"Yeah" she replied absentmindedly. "Hang on, we haven't been talking long and you're already inviting me over?"

Now it was his turn to blush. "Sorry."

"No, it's fine" she replied with a smile.

There was an awkward silence between them in which none of them could think of what to say. It was then that Heather decided to play her 'trump card'.

"Hey, I heard you in your music class the other day" she said.

He seemed a bit embarrassed. "I went off in one part."

"I didn't notice. You were fantastic!" she exclaimed. "It can't be easy playing the guitar and singing at the same time, I struggle with just the singing on it's own."

"Thanks, it's just a hobby."

"You should go on Britain's Got Talent" she suggested.

He looked at her sadly and a surge of guilt invaded her.

"Sorry Azan" she whispered.

He gave her a sad smile. "It's okay."

She felt more comfortable with him than she ever had with Aaron; she felt that she could be herself. Just then the bell rang. Heather shoved her pencils into her pencil case and put her sketchbook into her schoolbag.

"Hey, you dropped something" Azan pointed out.

Heather looked at where her was pointing and on the floor was a photograph of a woman with long hair in dreadlocks, she wore a long brightly colored dress and boots. "She was my mother" Heather told him, her voice distant. "Four years ago she died in a car accident."

Azan was silent. He had never had any parents at all till he was adopted by Henry. He noticed how ironic it was that the year Heather lost a parent; was the year he gained one. He knew that if Henry died, it would destroy him. Heather picked up the photo and slipped it into her sketchbook.

"I'm sorry Heather" he said gently.

She noticed than that he had a beautiful smile and despite his facial disfigurement he looked slightly handsome. She had read somewhere that no matter how disfigured or deformed someone was, if they had a beautiful personality would always shine through.

"It's fine and you know what?"

"What?" he enquired.

"You're a nice guy."

Azan blushed bright red. "Thanks" he stammered. "No one at school has ever said anything like that to me before."

Heather was about to say something when Mr. Shaw the librarian told them to go to their next lesson. As they both walked to their next lessons,

both of them knew that in that past fifteen minutes they had each made a new friend.

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**Thanks for reading, please review! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Here's chapter 8!**

**Sorry its a bit late, I started collage, got three peices of homework on the same day! Anyway, enjoy! :)**

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Chapter 8

Azan sat on his bed with Leo's laptop balanced on his lap; he reading through the comments on his video on youtube, well, he called it a video, but as a rule he never posted any photos or videos of himself online. He had posted himself playing on his guitar and singing. He had put a slideshow of some photos of hills and that sort of thing. He smiled as he read through the comments 'wow! ur awesome!' was one of them. In another comment girl said that she wanted to marry him! He was glad of his youtube channel; it was something that he could go on when he felt down about himself. His thoughts were interrupted by a sound from the MSN messenger. 'Heather West has just sighed in' it read. As quick as light he began a new conversation with her.

'Hey.'

She replied back almost as fast. 'Hi, how are you?'

'Fine" he replied. His fingers shook slightly on the keyboard as he began to type the next message: 'Are you free tomorrow?'

He sent it, hoping with all his heart that he'd say no.

The reply came back: 'I'm catching the bus into town with Aaron.'

He felt as if his heart had been sucked out of his body.

However, he was saved by her other reply: 'But I can cancel it for more important people. :)' it said.

Azan smiled softly at this and typed a new message, 'do your want to come round to mine?"

He couldn't go on checking his youtube comments after this; he had to wait for her reply. It took a while and he began to get more worried, he began to wonder if he had offended her. He sat impatiently, tapping on the keyboard. Then there came a reply. He was suddenly alert and read it rapidly. 'Sure' it said.

He could scarcely type the next word with excitement and hope. 'tomorrow?'

He crossed his fingers and waited for the next reply, 'okay, around 11:00?'

'Yes' he typed rapidly.

'Can't wait' read the reply.

'Thanks in advance for coming' he typed.

'It's fine, hey, I've got to go now, bye!'

'Bye' he typed.

She signed off and he turned off the laptop and put it away.

He cannoned down the stairs and into the lounge / kitchen / dining room area. "Hey, guess what!" he exclaimed.

"What?" Cady enquired looking up from her painting.

"A friend from school is coming round tomorrow, she's called Heather" he told them. "And she is just a friend, nothing more" he added, acknowledging the glances from Kayla.

"Cool" said Cady. She picked up the beaker with paint water in while dipping the paint brush in her mug of tea. She was about to take a sip from the beaker and put brush to canvas.

"Um Cady, that's paint water you're about to drink and tea that you're about to paint with."

"Huh?" She looked up. Then realized. "Oh! The tea gives the painting a nice colour" she replied in a very matter of fact tone.

"And the paint water?" Sally enquired.

"Oh that, it tastes nice."

"Right" said Kayla sarcastically.

"Well, I've got homework to do and I refuse to do any tomorrow" said Azan. He turned and marched upstairs, he was slightly nervous as well as excited about the next day.

* * *

Heather stood in front of the full length mirror in her room; she wore boot cut jeans because the skinny jeans wouldn't fit her, a strap top and a denim jacket with some ugg boots. It wasn't her. Just then there was a knock at her bedroom door.

"Come in" she called.

Aaron, Josh and Lauren pushed their way into her room.

"So," said Aaron sitting down on the trunk, she wanted to tell him to get off it, but something stopped her. "You coming into town with us today?" he asked.

"No, I've got a history project to do for Monday and I haven't even started it yet" she lied.

Josh grinned. "You rebal!"

"So you can't come into town?" Lauren enquired.

"No."

"Okay" said Aaron. He turned to Josh and Lauren, come on guys, let's go! See you Heather!"

They left leaving Heather alone in her room. She gazed again at her reflection. She didn't like many of her clothes, or at least not in the combinations that she wore them. Getting up, she looked in her wardrobe and saw the long purple dress, tie dyed so that it was lilac at the top flowing into a deep midnight purple at the bottom. The sleeves were long and flared out at the end and little mirrors and glass beads of all colours were situated around the hem and neckline. It was truly beautiful. She saw too, her mother's brown boots that would be the right size for her now lying at the bottom of the wardrobe, old and gathering dust, both the dress and boots nagging to be worn.

She longed to wear the clothes, but she was frightened of everyone at school turning on her, turning on her because of her appearance, just like they had turned on Azan. 'But it's worse for him' she thought. 'He can't change his appearance and no matter how much he dresses like everyone else, he'll always look different.'

She remembered his smile, not a massive one to be seen on the red carpet like so many celebrities and the boys at school gave, but a gentler less showy one, he smiled more with his eyes than his mouth she observed.

'Right, I _will_ wear this dress! I don't care what Aaron and his mates think!'

She pulled on the dress and the boots and examined herself in the mirror once more and gasped. She no longer saw a girl who was popular, but plastic and fake, but a confident, courageous, independent woman. She pulled the hair band out of her hair and let it fall loose; though little wisps stuck out here and here she realized that she looked very like her mother and if she dreadlocked her hair she would look even more like her. She reached out to touch her reflection.

'Oh mum,' she thought. 'You may be dead, but now I finally understand why they said that you still live in me.'

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**Hope you enjoyed it!**

**Just as a warning, chapter nine may take longer because I'm in collage now, but I'll try to upload as soon as possible. Thanks for being patient! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Just an update to let you guys know that I am still alive. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 9**

Heather was at the door of the house. She looked up at it; to her it looked massive, there was even a proper window in the attic. The fact that it was in a graveyard was creepy enough, but the fact that the house was called 'Resurrection House' was pretty creepy. 'Wow, his family must be loaded!' she thought to herself. She knocked on the door.

There was a fast thud of footsteps and the door opened; it was Azan. He smiled, then he saw what she was wearing. His mouth opened wide. "Wow!" he gasped. He looked her up and down.

Heather smiled broadly, she was glad that she wore the dress, she felt like an individual person.

"Um, am I going in?" she enquired after a few minutes.

"What? Oh! Yes, certainly!" Azan moved aside and she walked into the house.

The inside of it was not as she had expected. It was all one room with a kitchen in one corner, dining room and lounge. At the table dismantling an old radio was a girl aged about eleven, also sitting at the table was a woman in her forties reading a book and a guy in his late teens writing something down in an old exercise book. In the corner on the sofa was a woman drawing something.

"Guys! This is Heather" he said to them. "And Heather, this is Kayla, Sally, Leo and Cady.

Sally, Cady and Leo said 'hi', but Kayla looked at her with an expression of hate.

"You're Aaron's cousin" she stated accusingly.

"Kayla!" Azan scolded.

"But she is! Aaron is the school bully and she hangs around with him!" Kayla said the word 'she' as if it was disgusting word.

"Look, I may hang out with him, but I don't hang out with him as much as I used to, I can't help it that he's my cousin" Heather protested.

Leo looked at Heather curiously; he was the only one in the family who knew that Aaron bullied Azan, but he could not see any of Aaron's malice and hate in Heather. Last year he had been to Dawnwood sixth form which was part of the school and he was in lower sixth when Azan had started; Aaron had picked on him straight away. He had even mentored their form so he had a good idea of Aaron's character. Something told him that Aaron was in control of her. He had seen the sort of people who Aaron hung around with and he didn't think that Heather was anything like those people.

Kayla didn't seem fully satisfied with Heather's explanation, but she decided to keep quiet for Azan's sake.

Heather caught site of the book that Sally was reading. "Is that the Dictionary of the Occult?" she asked.

"Yes it is" Sally replied, please that someone had noticed.

"Cool, I've got the first older edition as home" she told her.

"Where did you get it from?"

"I inherited it from my mum; in fact I've got an entire trunk of things that I've inherited, ornaments, books etc."

"What does this trunk look like?" Sally asked.

Heather pulled out her mobile and found a picture of her room, she showed it to Sally. "You can't see it properly, but it's underneath the pink blanket at the end of my bed. In answer to what it looks like; it's wooden and calved with vines and a butterfly here and there, it's also got a metal padlock, I've got the key on me at all times" she replied.

"It sounds beautiful, why would you hide it?" Azan asked.

She looked down at the floor. "I'm worried about what Aaron will think."

"He's not the boss of you" said Leo.

"I know, it's just that we've known each other for years and he's always been friends with me. Now I'm trying to think for myself, I even wore this dress that he said was too hippyish to wear – soon I'll be able to stand up to him properly, just not yet."

Kayla had been listening. "Why don't you just tell him to piss off?"

"It's not as easy as that, I know it sounds it, but it's not, just believe me."

"Well, okay, you seem fine Heather" she said with a smile.

Heather smiled back gently.

"Hey, um, do you want to come for a walk?" Azan asked.

"Sure, I'd like that" Heather replied.

"Okay, see you later guys!" Azan exclaimed

Heather gave a shy little wave and they walked out the door.

* * *

They walked down the path that snaked through the graveyard.

"So, where are we going?" Heather asked him.

Azan smiled secretively. "You just wait and see, I promise you, it will be worth it" he told her.

Heather gave him a wide grin. "Looking forward to it!"

They walked on in silence for a few moments; it didn't matter that they couldn't think of anything to say, they just enjoyed each other's company.

After about five minutes, they reached a line of various trees.

"Here we are!" Azan exclaimed.

Heather frowned. "A thicket?"

"Nope, what's beyond it."

Heather gave a small, unsure smile at him as she took a step into the thicket. It was dark and the September sun shone down creating a sort of greenish light.

"It's beautiful!" she exclaimed.

Azan gave a small laugh.

Heather turned to him. "What's so funny?" she asked indignantly.

"Sorry, it's just that this isn't what's so wonderful" he told her.

"Oh, it's just that it's great here."

He reached out and took her hand. "Close your eyes."

Heather's world went dark as her eyes shut; she felt Azan's rough, yet gentle hand in hers. She could feel him pulling her forward gently. The birds of the forest played music in her ears. As she walked forward led by Azan; the atmosphere changed. She could feel more wind blowing through her hair, the sounds of the birds transformed into the sounds of the waves hitting the rocks on the shore.

"Now, you can open them" came Azan's gentle voice.

Heather opened her eyes and gasped in amazement. "Wow!" It stretched out for miles, a massive expanse of blue; the sea. "I haven't seen it this close up for ages!" she exclaimed.

Azan smiled at her joy and pointed into the distance. "See that grey hilly island-type thing in the distance?"

Heather nodded. "Yes."

"That, is not just any island; it _is_ Ireland" he told her.

She turned to him in surprise. "You can see Ireland from here?"

"Yep" he replied with a smile.

"That's pretty cool." Her eyes wandered to the charred pieces of wood and leaves on the ground in the middle of the clearing. "So, do you get campers here?" she asked.

"No, that's our campfire. We come here nearly every weekend in the evening and tell stories by it and sing songs – when it's lit of course."

"Sounds cool, can I come one day?" she asked.

"Sure" he replied.

They stared out into the distance at the ocean. The wind blew across it. Heather closed her eyes and spread out her hands like wings and walked forward; she didn't know why, but she felt comfortable doing it when she was with Azan,

"I feel like an eagle" she said.

Azan's knees felt weak as he watched her standing there, her hair and long flowing skirt blowing in the wind. She was what he most wanted in the world; he could get good grades, a good job, a nice house, but he would happily sacrifice all of that if it would mean that he could just be with Heather. He felt a pang of jealousy of all the men in the world who had a girlfriend whom they took for granted. 'You don't know what you've got' he thought to himself sadly.

She turned round, strolled over to him and took his hand. His heart beat fast as she led him to near the edge.

"If you lie down and stretch your arms out it feels like you are flying" she told him.

"Okay…" he said doubtfully.

They lay down and moved forward slightly so that they could stretch out their arms freely. Azan felt his stomach churn as he looked down at the rocks below. He glanced at Heather who seemed completely unaffected by the heights.

"I admit that I've never done this before" she said. "My mum told me that she used to do this, I've always wanted to try it."

Azan couldn't think of anything to say. They sat up and sat cross legged on the edge of the cliff looking out to sea.

"Azan?"

"Yes?"

"Do you mind if I ask you something personal?"

He nodded.

"How did you get your scars?"

He sighed. "I don't feel like I can tell you face to face; can I write it down and give it to you tomorrow please?"

She nodded understandingly. "Sure."

Just then Azan felt a little bit of rain on his nose. "I think it's beginning to rain" he stated in a different tone.

"Yes, shall we go back?"

"Yes."

They walked back to the house holding hands feeling that they had grown closer and shared something spiritual.

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**I'm not too keen on the ending, but hopefully it's okay. I'll update as soon as I can. Please review! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Okay, I think today I've had a nice relaxing weekend with a sudden burst of inspiration. This one's a little short, but it just seemed like a perfect ending to this chapter. Hope you enjoy! :)**

**Chapter 10**

The next day in form Azan passed Heather's desk and dropped a sealed envelope with the words 'for Heather' written on it in a neat, precise print on her desk. She smiled up at him to reassure him that everything was going to be okay, but he did not look her in the eye; he was clearly nervous at her reading the letter.

Heather was so taken, by his anxiousness that (in complete disregard of her own thirst to know what it said), she went over to his desk, the letter in her hand. "Look Azan, I can see that you are worried about what I might think of you if I read this letter." She held it out to him. "Destroy it, I don't mind not knowing what it says" she told him.

He pushed her hand away, still avoiding eye contact. "You _must_ know; I just regret that I haven't got the courage to tell you myself. I'll be in the library after school till four, meet me there if you want to ask me anything" he replied. His tone was grim and scared.

Heather saw that it was no use trying to comfort him then; she would have to wait for the end of school.

* * *

Heather had never been so glad to hear the bell ring for the end of school as she was on that day. She ran to the toilet's immediately, locked the door, put the lid down and sat down. She pulled the letter that had been burning a hole in her pocket out and opened the envelope carefully.

Inside was an A4 piece of paper with neat writing on it, but it wasn't printed like on the envelope, it was joined up.

_Dear Heather,_

_I wish that I had the courage to tell you all of this face to face, but I just can't and for this, I apologize._

_It may seem a strange place to start, but my 'birth' began when a scientist wanted to create life. He raided the graveyards and mortuaries looking for the bodies of men who he could cut up and sew together to create a living being. That is how I got the scars._

_He made the body come alive using lightening._

_I only know the basics of my birth, but I can remember past lives; the lives of the people whom I was created from. I can only remember fragments of their lives, but it's already too much. There are times when I see someone in the street and recognize them from somewhere, but I don't know where, then later I remember that they were a person who part of me knew in a past life. My biggest fear is that they will recognize the body of that one person in me._

_I want to thank you for reading this letter; I sincerely hope that we can still be friends._

_From Azan_

Heather folded up the letter and put it in the envelope; a strong feeling of disgust hung in her heart. He had been created from _dead bodies_, the thought made her shudder, yet on top of this she felt a wave of sympathy and compassion for him as well as anger and guilt at herself for feeling disgusted. She had always been a bit squeamish around dead bodies and to find out that someone whom she had got along very well with was made from them was a great shock.

'But,' she began to think to herself. 'he's not dead; he's alive.'

She remembered the day – only two days ago – when he had shown her the sea. She had held her hand in his and had got used to its rough texture from the scarring. It had been sweet of him to show it to her and she had been sure that the feelings that she had felt for him that day were more than the feelings which one might feel for a friend. She leaned forward, consumed by the guilt. She actually felt repulsed by him.

'He's still Azan' she thought to herself. She could now see why he had not wanted to tell her face to face.

She began to wonder why he had wanted her to know about it. She pondered over this for a few moments; then it hit her. He hoped to get two things out of it; firstly, he wanted support and secondly, reassurance that there would be someone who was outside his own family who could befriend him – even with the knowledge of his past.

Heather felt a sudden burst of enthusiasm and determination; she _would_ be that person.

"Azan, I _want_ to be friends with you and I will, I promise" she whispered out loud. No one heard her, but at four o'clock she would repeat those words to him.

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**I'll try to update as soon as possible (I could use one of my study periods in collage ;) lol) Constructive critism welcome and I hope that Heather reacted in a realistic way. Thanks for reading!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay here's a new chapter. It's a bit long, but I may not be updating for a while. Enjoy! :)**

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**Chapter 11**

Heather crossed the quad over to the library; it was exactly four o'clock and Azan would be out any time now. A gust of wind blew across the quad making her shiver for a moment, but she didn't care, Azan was all she cared about then.

The door to the library opened and Azan walked out. He stopped when he saw Heather, but she carried on walking towards him. She was close now and could see his worry.

"Come, let's sit down" she said gently, nodding towards a bench to edge of the quad.

They advanced towards the bench, sat down and faced each other. Azan couldn't look her in the eye; he folded his hands in his lap and stared down at them worried about what she was going to say.

Heather could see that he was tense; she took his hands gently. "Azan, I want to be your friend and I will, I promise" she told him.

"Thanks" he mumbled under his breath. His voice was filled with gratitude. He lifted up his head and looked her in the eyes. "I am so, so glad, words cannot express how grateful I am."

Heather was sure that she could see a few tears in his eyes. She didn't need to say anything; she had taken friends for granted in the past and she had never met anyone who didn't have any friends. She knew what to do. Reaching out her arms, she slid them around him in a long embrace.

Azan seemed awkward to begin with and Heather was sure that he was trying not to cry. "It's okay, you can cry in front of me" she whispered in his ear.

His eyes screwed shut and a tear slipped down his face followed by more. Heather felt tears in her own eyes; she had never seen a boy cry before.

"I'm sorry" he whispered wiping his eyes.

"No, it's fine; my mum said it takes a real man to cry" she told him.

He smiled shakily. "Thanks." He was silent for a moment, then he spoke, "Do you want to come round to mine tonight?"

Heather shrugged. "Yeah sure, my dad won't be back till eleven, he's going out with friends tonight."

* * *

Heather had never walked through the town with Azan before and it was only then that she started to notice people staring at him. He refused to look anyone in the eye, but she could tell that he was uncomfortable with it.

Each time she caught someone staring she would take hold of Azan's hand discreetly and give it a squeeze as well as staring at the person hard.

"It's a lot better than Kayla's way of stopping them staring" he commented at one point.

"What did Kayla do?"

Azan wore a slight amused grin upon his face. "Well, she yelled at this one guy adding in a few swear words to stop him" he told her.

Heather gasped. "She didn't!" she exclaimed in disbelief.

Azan nodded with a smile.

"Well, I'll make sure I stay on her good side."

"If you like me, she'll like you, that's how Kayla seems to work" he told her.

"That's good, because I like you a lot" she said slipping her arm through his like a link in a chain.

* * *

They reached the house and pushed the door open; an open fire was blazing in the fireplace and Cady was sat on the sofa, a canvas perched on her lap with a palate of red, yellow and orange paint on a table beside her and a paintbrush in her hand.

"Dammit!" she exclaimed suddenly.

"What is it?" Kayla asked.

"It's the flames" she replied her tone was the tone of someone who was deep in concentration.

"What about them?" Leo enquired.

"I'm trying to paint them (well, not _on_ them otherwise the brush would burn) but I'm trying to copy them onto this canvas and they won't keep still!"

"Well if you were to keep flames still you would have to freeze them and you can't freeze them because they're the opposite of frozen" Azan told her.

Everyone in the room turned to face him.

"Oh, I didn't know you were back" Cady commented still trying (and failing) to paint the flames.

"Wow! You crept in so quietly, you must be a ninja!" Kayla exclaimed.

Leo spotted Heather slightly to the left of Azan. "Hi Heather!"

"I didn't notice you either! Both of you must be ninjas!" Kayla exclaimed.

"Hey, I thought that Sally wasn't working today and Henry should really be home now" Azan pointed out.

"Yeah, they went to a tango class together" Cady told him absentmindedly (she was still trying to paint the flames).

"Tango?" Azan enquired.

"Yes, it's a type of dance" Leo replied.

"Yes, I know what tango is, but, isn't is like, you know…" he didn't need to finish his sentence.

"Yes, I was wondering if they are becoming a bit more than friends" Cady commented. "Yes! I painted one!"

"Really? That would be so cool!" Kayla exclaimed.

"You wouldn't mind your mum going out with Henry?" Leo asked her.

Kayla shrugged. "I never knew my real dad – as far as I'm concerned he doesn't exist and anyway, Henry's been just like a dad to me all my life so there wouldn't be a real change."

Everyone was silent for a moment; no one really knew what to say. It was Azan who broke the silence.

"Heather would you like a drink."

"Yes please."

"Tea or coffee?"

"Tea please; I can make it if you like" she offered.

"No, you're the guest, just sit down on the sofa and relax."

"Okay." Heather sat down on the sofa next to Cady and glanced around at the living area. There were many pictures and strange ornaments on display; strange, but beautiful.

Leo was in the armchair, a notebook and pen in his hand. Suddenly, he turned round, hooked his legs over the edge of the armchair and leaned back so that he was upside down.

"Leo, what are you doing?" Kayla asked curiously.

Leo got the same notebook and pen and began to write. "I'm writing upside down" he replied shortly.

"Why?"

"Writers block; apparently change helps so I'm going to write differently every day and upside down should inspire me" he replied.

"That's just weird" Kayla commented.

"Victor Hugo used to throw a bucket of cold water over himself and sit naked on the roof to write" Leo told her.

Kayla's eyes widened. "You're not going to do _that_ are you!?" she gasped.

Even Heather looked slightly horrified.

"Of course not!" he exclaimed.

Kayla and Heather breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's far too cold" he said in such a way that they couldn't tell if he was joking or not. "But," he began, a grin spreading across his face. "It's a lot warmer in summer…"

"Don't you dare!" Kayla exclaimed.

"Relax, even in British summer it would be too cold."

Heather who had been sitting quietly staring into the fire suddenly spoke. "Hey, I've just realized; the word 'bed' actually looks like a bed!" she exclaimed.

Kayla and Leo were quiet for a moment while visualizing the word 'bed' in order to work it out.

"Oh, yes!" Kayla exclaimed.

"Good one" Leo agreed.

"Do you want sugar?" Azan's voice came from the kitchen area.

"No thanks" Heather replied.

Azan walked over to the sofa carrying a steaming mug of tea which he handed to Heather. "I hope it's okay, it's not too weak is it?" he asked anxiously.

Heather took a sip and smiled at him. "Azan, it's perfect."

"Um, do you like music?" Azan asked her shyly.

"Defiantly!" she exclaimed her voice filled with enthusiasm. "I spend my time either listening to music, singing or day dreaming about music."

"I have a guitar upstairs, um, do you want me to play it for you?" he enquired awkwardly.

Heather's eyes lit up. "Oh yes please!" she exclaimed.

* * *

He led her upstairs; neither of them noticed the glances which Cady, Leo and Kayla were exchanging.

She was in his room now; looking around at the old almost threadbare carpet, the beds on each side of the room and the old chest of draws. There were some massive bookshelves with a few DVD's and CD's on them, but mainly books. She observed that there were books on the floor too and as they had crossed the landing she had noticed entire boxes of books.

"You've got a lot of books" she commented.

"Yes, Henry and Sally collect them; they both read like crazy, that's probably why we think that's make a good couple" he told her.

She sighted an old battered guitar with stickers on it propped up against the chest of draws. "I like your guitar."

Azan blushed. "Thanks. It's a bit old" he admitted.

"Old stuff it cool; I always wonder who the previous owners were and why they got rid of it and stuff."

Azan didn't reply; he picked up the guitar and sat down on the bed. He strummed a few chords. He was hesitant and shy at first, but soon he was absorbed in the music. Heather was completely transfixed; Azan played with so much passion that she could feel his emotions in the air. She closed her eyes and sensed the joy that he got out of music. His playing transported her into a new world; a world of freedom and eternal happiness where she could touch the music.

When he was finished, Azan looked up shyly waiting for her to comment. "So how was it?"

"Awesome!" she exclaimed. "I'm mean, that's not an appropriate word to describe it, but it's the best word I can find."

He smiled modestly. "Thank you, um, why don't you sing something?" he suggested.

"What?"

"I'm sure you know something."

Heather thought for a while; the only song that was in her head at that moment was 'Umbrella' by Rhiannah. Suddenly she remembered 'Memory' from 'Cats'.

"I'll sing 'Memory' from 'Cats'" She told him.

She began to sing; her voice was a bit wobbly and couldn't quite reach some of the higher notes, but even so, it was quite good and Azan could tell that she was enjoying it and really feeling the music.

She stopped at the end of the first verse; nearly as shy as him.

"That was good!" he exclaimed.

"Thanks, but I can't reach the high notes."

"You may be able to with training" he told her.

"I'll never sound as good as you. I heard you singing in your music class on day" she told him.

"Yeah, I remember me telling you; how did you come to?" he enquired.

She sat down on his bed beside him. "I went to the staff room to see if there were any of the maths text books that we could use and I passed to music rooms and heard a voice and a guitar. I looked through the window in the door and saw it was you – that's how I heard you" she told him.

Azan didn't say anything, he just smiled gently at her; she was smiling at him too. There was nothing to say so they just stayed silent.

It was Heather's phone that interrupted the silence.

"Do you mind if I answer this?" she asked.

He shrugged. "No, go ahead."

She answered it. "Hello?"

There was a voice on the phone.

"Yes…no, I'm not out clubbing… no I'm not in town… with a boy? Well, yes, I suppose so…NO! I am not having sex with him!!!" she exclaimed suddenly making Azan jump violently. "We were doing music practice… no I've had no alcohol, in fact I was drinking tea… earl grey, I think, look I don't know!... Okay… yes" she sighed. "Okay, I'll leave in a moment… okay, bye dad!"

She hung up with a slightly annoyed look on her face. "He says that his friends can't make it and he's back home and wondering where I am so I'm going to have to go home now" she told Azan; she sighed. "God, I'm sorry."

"It's fine; do you want me to walk you home?" he offered.

"It's only a few streets away and I've got my ipod to keep me company" she said producing an old nano with a red and gold cover from the inside pocket of her school blazer.

"Cool cover!"

"Yeah, this market stall were giving them away free and as a cheapskate I couldn't leave empty handed" she said with a grin.

He led her downstairs and followed her out the door. "At least let me walk you to the edge of the graveyard; maybe I can protect you from those zombies that Henry is always on about.

* * *

They walked through the graveyard in silence just enjoying each other's company. When they reached the gates of the cemetery, they stopped and looked at each other; it was dark and the only source of light came from the lamp posts along the main path running through the graveyard so they couldn't see each other well.

"Are you sure you'll be okay from here?" he asked her.

"Yeah fine. See you in school tomorrow."

She leaned forward and hugged him; he slipped his arms around her slowly and stiffly.

It felt right; Heather reached up and planted a kiss on his cheek.

She pulled back and they were holding hands. She was slightly shy; though only on the cheek, that was the first time that a kiss with a boy had meant so much, before she only did it to fit in, now she did it because she genuinely wanted to.

"See you in school tomorrow" she whispered.

"Yeah" he breathed.

They departed the memory of the kiss still in their minds.

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**I hope you enjoyed that chapter, I hope it wasn't too long! I'll update as soon as possible, I hope I get inspired over christmas!**

**Thanks for reading! :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay here's another chapter...**

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Chapter 12

Azan lay in bed, it was dark, but he was wide away, his eyes shining in the dark.

"Azan, do you like Heather?" Leo asked, his voice piercing the darkness.

"What?"

"Do you like her?"

"Um, yes." He paused for a moment. "She kissed me."

There was a rustling and a creak as Leo sat up in bed in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes – but it was only on the cheek, it probably didn't mean much."

"I think she likes you; did you see that look on her face when you said that you played the guitar?"

"Yeah, well, lets see how things go at school tomorrow."

"Night Azan."

"Night Leo" Azan whispered into the darkness.

* * *

It was morning and Sally was making tea in the kitchen, Harry was reading the local newspaper while Cady was adding the finishing touches to her fire picture with a strange powder.

"According to this tabloid story, David Cameron is the hottest leader of the Conservative Party" he announced.

Sally let out an explosive laugh. "Sorry Harry, but that's just like saying that Pocahontas two is better than Hannah Montanna; Cameron hasn't got much competition."

"Well, that's true."

Suddenly Kayla clattered in from the graveyard. "Mice!" she yelled.

"Where!" Cady exclaimed leaping up on the table and looking down at the floor frantically.

Harry looked up from his newspaper. "Cady, get your feet off the table" he told her.

"There are mice in the door mouse sanctuary!" Kayla exclaimed.

Cady looked at her from on top of the table. "So… not in here?"

"No. Cady, you should really get your feet off the table."

Cady sighed. "Okay, but it's so nice up here."

"Yeah, Azan once told me that when the house was empty at night he came into the kitchen, stood on the table and sung in the dark."

Cady (who had climbed off the table by this time and looking around at the floor warily) spoke, "Hey; is Azan okay? He hasn't come down for breakfast this morning."

"Yeah, Leo isn't here either" Henry observed. "They're probably still asleep; Kayla, go and wake them up."

"With pleasure!" Kayla exclaimed with a cheeky grin. She ran up to their bedroom ready to wake them up by singing 'I know a song that will get on your nerves' at the top of her voice.

* * *

For Azan that day at school began nicely for once; he was late so he missed form and had to go straight to his first lesson which was music. Music was his favourite subject, it was one of the calmest and he could get absorbed into his work and forget everything going on around him. To him music was a world in which he fitted in; a world where he was judged by heart, mind and soul rather than his appearance.

Today at the end of class his teacher Mr. Lawson made an announcement. "There will be several teachers from a sixth form collage of music and performing arts coming to this school in three weeks time and they are offering a scholarship at their collage. You just need to come to the school hall and do an audition – just sing one song or do a dance and if your good enough they'll accept you for their interview to get the scholarship. There are fliers about it by the door and I want you to take one and just think it over."

He walked over to Azan when the room was empty. "So, are you going to the audition?" he asked him.

"No, they won't accept me" Azan replied.

"I wouldn't be so sure, with a voice like yours there's certainly a lot going for you believe it or not."

"Thanks, but I'd never make a carrier in music, I don't look the part."

"I've recommended you to them" he told Azan.

"But why sir?" Azan was both shocked, but happy about this at the same time.

"Because," Mr. Lawson paused to look around just to check that no one other than Azan could hear him. "I'm not supposed to say this, but you are the most musically talented pupil I've ever taught and I've been teaching for over fifteen years."

Azan gasped. He didn't know what to say.

Mr. Lawson smiled. "Now, you'd better get to your next lesson, just tell them that I needed to see you about something okay?"

Azan nodded.

Mr. Lawson handed him a flier. "Please promise me you'll think about it, you really do stand a chance."

Azan nodded. "I'll think about it" he replied before leaving.

As soon as he was outside the room, Azan crumpled up the flier in his fist and was about to throw it away, when something stopped him. He didn't know what it was – he just couldn't bear to throw it away. Instead he stuffed it in his blazer pocket.

'Yeah, sure they'd let someone like me through' he told himself bitterly.

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**Hope you enjoyed that! Please review! :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay, here's another chapter, hope you enjoy! :)**

**Chapter 13**

Heather hurried across the quad glancing around it frantically; She had just arrived at school after a dental appointment. She spotted a group of year 7's playing football, a group of year 11 boys flirting with a group of year 11 girls – she couldn't see Aaron. Breathing a sigh of relief, she rushed to the library. However, on her way there Lauren tapped her shoulder. She spun round fast.

"Yes?"

"Where are you going?" she asked her.

Heather observed a presence of knowledge in her eyes; she already knew where she had been heading and who she was going to see. "The library" Heather told her defiantly.

"You're going to mean Azan aren't you?" she asked her, there was a hint of malice in her tone.

"No, I'm just going to the library because I like to read not because of him." It wasn't exactly a lie – she did go partly because she liked reading.

Lauren stared at her. "You are such a liar! I saw you hanging out with Azan. I saw you going to his house the other day wearing what looked like a purple curtain!" she exclaimed.

Heather stood frozen on the spot; she had no idea that Lauren knew that much. She was going to have to convince her that she wasn't friends with Azan. "Oh that! Aaron told me that his family were really weird so I thought I'd just go and see how strange they are and he was right!" she told Lauren. In her heart she knew she was wrong, but the lie was like an addiction, she had started and now she couldn't stop. "And Azan, he's like, so ugly!" she exclaimed. She broke off at this point, she couldn't speak any more. She was choking in her own guilt. She had realized that now she had betrayed Azan, who was more to her than a friend, she was sure that he was her soul mate.

Lauren gave a massive grin. "So you've sort of been spying on him?"

Unable to speak, Heather nodded.

"Cool! Why don't you come round the back of the temp classroom; Aaron has so got to hear about this!"

Heather managed to speak long enough to tell Lauren about a detention that she supposedly had this lunch break. She couldn't betray Azan again.

As she hurried to the toilet where let her tears of guilt flow, she failed to notice the small year 7 girl who had heard every word against her family and adoptive elder brother.

* * *

Azan was sitting in the library reading a book, but no just any book; it was Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. He reflected on how his relationship was similar to that of Romeo and Juliet because they were being held apart by things beyond their control, but still managing to stay together in spite of all that was keeping them apart.

"Azan!" someone called.

He turned round to see Kayla standing behind him looking angry.

"Kayla! What is it?" he asked frantically, all sorts of bad news running through his mind.

"It's Heather" she replied grimly.

"What about her?"

"I just overheard her talking to Lauren and do you know what she said?!"

Azan was beginning to turn pale.

"She said that we were really weird and that you were ugly!" she told him with a great tone of fury in her voice.

Azan stopped barely able to believe it. "No, she wouldn't!" he exclaimed.

"She did, I heard her."

Azan put his book away. "I have to go" he gabbled as he ran out of the library. He didn't know where he was going – he just had to get away from her, he wanted to be alone.

* * *

However, this action proved to be disastrous as he ran behind the temporary classroom and came face to face with Aaron. Azan didn't notice it himself, but tears had begun to form in his eyes.

Aaron gave an evil grin. "Lauren here tells me that you've lost the one person who you think was your friend."

Azan made a small choking noise.

"So, have you been hanging out with _my_ cousin?"

Azan didn't say anything.

Aaron moved closer to him. "Well, come on, tell me freak!"

Azan glanced around him, but he saw no mercy in the eyes of his peers. He managed to push Aaron away as hard and he could without hurting him and ran.

However, Aaron was not in the mood to be beaten by a 'freak'; he began a malicious chase after Azan like a predator hunting its prey.

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**I hope you enjoyed that chapter!**

**Please review. :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**First of all I'd like to thank girl for helping me with the ideas. Thanks! :)**

**And secondly, here's chapter 14 and I hope you enjoy!**

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Chapter 14

Azan clattered into the form room and stood in the door looking around wildly with fear. A few people were sitting in the room at their desks and a few in the corner, but he didn't notice them – he was too consumed in his escape from Aaron.

He heard Aaron behind him and dashed forward into the room. He turned to face Aaron.

"What, are you afraid of me freak?" Aaron hissed maliciously. He took steps forward.

Azan backed into the wall.

Though Azan was much bigger than Aaron, the sight of Azan's tall form cowering while Aaron's smaller, yet threatening form closing in on him told everyone who saw them who the real bully was.

Azan closed his eyes with fear. He remembered what Kayla had told him what Heather had said and it was too much, a tear crept out of his eye.

"Awww! Are you crying?" Aaron asked in a mock caring voice. "Well, I'd cry if I was you. I'm glad that I'm not so ugly that my friends leave me and my parents put me into care. You know what? I feel sorry for your parents; you must have been such an embarrassment to them!"

A silence echoed round the room.

"I hate you" Azan muttered under his breath. More of his tears spilled out. "I hate you!" Azan yelled.

"One more thing; isn't it time to get your stitches taken out?" Aaron added mockingly and, reaching forward, he pulled hard at the stitching that bound the parts of two of the many people who were unwillingly made part of Azan together.

This was too much; Azan launched himself at Aaron, punching him hard.

No one in the room stepped in, it was happening so fast that they were rooted to their seats.

Azan punched and punched, he was in a grief ridden daze.

Suddenly a female voice rung out from somewhere. "Azan! What are you doing! Stop!"

Azan recognized the voice as Heather who was standing in the doorway, a horrified and angry look upon her face.

He realized what he was doing, gave a horrified cry and retreated.

He backed against a wall, yanked his sleeves down over his arms and slid down the wall shielding his hideous face from the world.

Heather knelt beside her cousin. "Aaron! Are you okay?" she gasped.

Aaron didn't answer, blood streamed from his nose and mouth – he was unconscious. "Someone call an ambulance! Now!" she screamed.

She hugged Aaron in her arms. "Please be okay, please be okay!" she sobbed.

A few people from the class started crowding round them, but Lauren shooed them away while Ben kept people from the other forms who had came to see what was happening out.

Heather heard a brisk walking step approaching from the corridors.

"What is going on in here!" came the voice of their form tutor.

Heather turned round reveling Aaron's form lying on the ground with his head resting on her lap.

Mr. Lawson's hand flew to his mouth. "Oh my goodness!" he exclaimed. "Has someone called an ambulance?"

"I have!" someone said.

"Good, now who's involved?" he enquired urgently.

A silence hit the room.

"Someone tell me!" he commanded angrily.

"Azan beat up Aaron" someone said.

Slowly people began to agree.

Mr. Lawson's eyes slid to the wall where Azan sat his face buried in his hands. Mr. Lawson strode over to him and pulled him up.

"You are coming with me." His voice seemed to have lost its usual warmness and had become cold.

Heather refused to look at him as he was being taken away; she just concentrated on Aaron then.

* * *

Azan was taken down the corridors of the school. He knew that everyone was looking at him even though his tears prevented him from seeing them properly. His stomach was turning and he was terrified of what might happen to him.

When the ambulance came Mr. Lawson kept people away from Aaron's unconscious form, but Heather was allowed to go with him to the hospital. She was in a daze and could only think of him. Throughout the journey she held onto his hand and talked to him about anything and everything. Even times when they were younger like the time he stopped some of the tough kids from the council estate in which she lived from bullying her.

As soon as they reached the hospital, Aaron was taken away and Heather was ushered to the waiting area.

* * *

Azan sat stiffly on the edge of a plastic chair facing the headmaster. In the corner of his office was a bookshelf, usually he would be peering at it curiously, trying to find out what sort of books he read, but now he was too weighed down with guilt.

"Now, Azan, I want you to tell me in your own words what happened" said the headmaster. In a situation like this he would usually exclude the person at once, but Azan was usually quiet, shy and hard working – not the type to beat someone up in that manner unless they were provoked in which case the other person should be punished as well.

Azan was silent for a moment. He tried to work out how he could tell him. He ran his finger over one of the many scars that covered his body. How could he tell someone who he didn't know well what Aaron had said about him? It was far too embarrassing, far too awkward. It would be far better not to tell him than to tell him and repeat those words of daggers.

"Well?" the headmaster said expectantly.

"I just hit him" Azan choked out.

The slightly understanding expression of the headmaster changed to one of disgust. "You just hit him? He did nothing to you?"

Azan shook his head.

The Headmaster sat up straight with an expression of shocked disbelief on his face. "Well, I must say that I am phenomenally disappointed and shocked at you Azan."

'If you only knew what he said!' Azan thought desperately.

"If you were sixteen that could be classed as assault. I have no choice, but to exclude you for three weeks." He stopped to look directly into Azan's eyes. "I used to think that you were a promising, reliable student, but I was obviously wrong. I'll call your father to pick you up and in the meantime you can wait outside and take some time to consider what you have done. Leave now." His tone was not anger, but full of disappointment – the type that was a million times worse than anger.

Azan had to turn away so that he could not see the tears forming in his eyes.

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**Okay, I'll try and do chapter 15 as soon as possible! Thanks for reading, please remember to leave review!**

**Until next time! :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Okay here's a new chapter for a new, I'm sorry it's a sad one, but hope you enjoy it all the same. Thankyou to Jacob Black girl for helping me with the plots! :)**

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Chapter 15

While Heather was waiting in the waiting room for one of the doctors to come and get her to tell her that her cousin was going to be alright, she began to question why Azan did it.

Her heart seemed to be telling her that he had been in the wrong and that she should support Aaron and help him get better, but deep down it also told her that Azan wouldn't hurt someone unless they hurt him first.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her dad, uncle and aunt rushing into the waiting room. They saw her sitting waiting and rushed over to her at once.

"Heather! What happened? Is Aaron alright?" her aunt asked.

"I don't know" she replied blankly. She wasn't going to tell them that Azan was the one to beat him up until she found out his side of the story. She remembered the first time that she had heard him in his music class. 'The Azan I know wouldn't do this unless he was provoked' she told herself.

* * *

Henry bustled into the waiting room and saw Azan sitting on one of the chairs, he was bent over and it was obvious that he was trying not to cry.

"Azan!" He came and sat down beside him. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

Azan managed to nod.

The headmaster walked out of his office.

"Now, Mr. Brither, I'm sure you are wondering why I've decided to exclude your son."

Henry stood up. "Well, yes, as a matter of fact I was."

"He assaulted another pupil who is now in hospital receiving treatment. As of this moment we don't know the severity of his injuries so we have decided to exclude Azan for two weeks, but this could be extended" he informed him.

"Now, hang on a moment – Azan wouldn't just beat someone up for no reason, you can't just exclude him like this!"

The headmaster was about to reply when Azan spoke up.

"Please Henry, let's just go."

His voice was quiet, but Henry could see the pain and desperation in his eyes. He nodded in his direction. "Okay." He turned towards the headmaster. "I'm going now, but I will talk to you tomorrow."

"If you so wish" was his response.

Azan stood up and Henry ushered him out of the door to the car.

* * *

A doctor came over to them. She looked at his parents.

"Mr. and Mrs. West?"

"Yes? Is he okay" they asked.

"There's a bit of concussion, but he'll be okay, but we'll have to keep him in overnight for observation" she told them. "And don't worry, this is just normal procedure" she added hastily seeing their shocked expression.

"Can we see him?" Heather's dad asked.

"Yes, come with me."

She led them down what seemed like a maze of corridors until they reached a cubical with the curtains drawn.

"Now, he's not conscious yet, but you could try talking to him and see if that helps."

She drew aside the curtains to reveal Aaron's pale form lying on the bed. Though the blood had been wiped away, his lip was badly cut and one of his eyes was black and swollen.

His parents rushed the bedside at once. Heather and her dad hung back.

"Oh Aaron, how could someone do this to you?" his mother sobbed.

As much as Heather cared for Aaron, she was sure that Azan must have been provoked in some way, but even with this thought in her mind, every time she looked at Aaron she felt a small tinge of hate for Azan which was aptly followed by guilt and ultimately confusion. She wanted to get away.

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you mind if I leave, I just need some time alone?"

"Of course, I'll drive you home."

"No! There's somewhere private I want to go – don't worry it's safe and I'll catch the bus, I've got enough change left" she told him.

He looked doubtful.

"Please?" she pleaded.

"Okay, but make sure you're home before nine."

"I promise!" She turned to Aaron in his hospital bed. "Please get better!" she said to him. She leaned over and kissed him on his cheek then straightened up to full height. "I hope he gets better."

Her aunt managed to smile at her. "Don't worry, he will, now you just go and get some rest."

"Thank you" said Heather as she left.

* * *

Azan had ran upstairs to his and Leo's room as soon as they got home. He was sitting on the edge of his bed. What had he done? Why did he do it?

Slowly he stood up and stood in front of the full length mirror and looked straight into it. A monster stared back at him.

Sub consciously his hand moved to the part in his arm where Aaron had pulled at the stitching, the skin was coming apart. Another reminder that he was not normal.

He had been sent to a normal school after years of home schooling and now he had screwed up. He kicked the mirror. Then feeling a surge of pain and anger raised his fist and punched at his reflection. He punched it repeatedly, the mirror showed signs of cracking, but it didn't break.

There was the thunder of footsteps and Henry burst into the room. "Azan! What are you doing?" he exclaimed. He strode across the room and pulled Azan away in a single embrace.

Azan turned put his arms around his adoptive father and wept.

Henry said nothing, he just held him until Azan had stopped crying. He led him to the bed and they sat down.

"Now, I want you to tell me what really happened today, I know that you wouldn't beat someone up for no reason, what did they say to you?"

Azan looked down at the floor, recalling the words of Aaron. He was able to tell it to Henry, but it was hard all the same. He looked down at his hands and opened his mouth to tell Henry. "He said -" he broke off, almost unable to get the words out. He took a deep breath and began to speak. "He said that I was so ugly that my parents and my friends left me."

Henry gasped. "He said that to you?" there was anger in his voice.

Azan nodded. "What's worse it that Kayla overheard Heather telling one of Aaron's friends that I was ugly and all of you were weird."

Henry's fist clenched.

"I thought she cared for me, I thought that she was my friend" Azan wept.

Henry unclenched his fist and put both his arms around his adoptive son. "I'll see the headmaster tomorrow and get this sorted out, I promise" he told him and planted a kiss on top his head.

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**I hope you enjoyed it. It will get happier later on, I promise.**

**Happy New Year guys! Thanks for reading! :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Well, my exams are over so here's another chapter! :)**

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**Chapter 16**

Heather got off the bus which stopped just outside the church; the cemetery where Azan lived was just down the road. She crossed the road and entered the cemetery then she ran.

She hoped that no one in Resurrection House would see her and recognize her, all she wanted to do was get to the beach and let the sound of waves calm her and clear her mind for the difficult decision that she was going to have to make.

She pushed her way though the line of trees to the cliff top – it didn't feel right without Azan by her side.

When she had been here before with Azan, she had noticed a steep path leading down to the beach. It was very narrow and rocky, but Heather didn't care. The tears threatened to fall at any moment and all that she cared about was trying to make the decision in peace in a place where she knew that she would not get interrupted.

She was standing on the sand of the beach now. Giving a quick scan of the beach she spotted a rock. She walked over to it and sat down, then, burying her head in her hands let out all the tears that had been threatening to fall. She felt like she was being pathetic, but it helped her more than she had thought it would.

She took a deep breath and went through her two options. The first one was that she could side with Aaron, after all, he was the one lying in hospital and had not someone once said 'blood is thicker than water'?

However, what if the family member was the one in the wrong? She knew that Azan had been wrong to hurt Aaron, but he wouldn't hurt anyone unless they hurt him first. Imagining all the cruel words that someone could throw at someone like Azan just made her shudder.

If she sided with Azan she would split up her family, but if she sided with Aaron she would loose her friendship with Azan and never be able to see him again. She couldn't face the future without him. She needed him, but she couldn't split up her family.

There was no way out. A fresh cascade of tears fell from her eyes.

"Excuse me, are you alright?" came a voice with a strong Welsh accent.

She looked up at once to see a man in his late twenties standing on the beach. His hair was longish and rather untidy, but he had a kind look in his eyes.

"Who are you?" Heather asked.

"Raymond Mheric, a bit like the Elephant Man, but with the traditional Welsh spelling rather than the English spelling because I'm from Wales" he told her.

'I've never have guessed' she thought sarcastically.

"And you are…"

"Heather" she replied. She didn't feel like talking about anything other than the crisis that faced her at that moment.

He came and sat down beside her.

Heather froze. 'What the hell are you doing?' she thought. He didn't say anything, but she felt like he would be safe to tell. 'As long as I don't use names' she thought.

* * *

Sally burst in. She was only working until two o'clock today and usually by this time the only person in the house was Cady, but today had gone out to get some inspiration so the house should have been empty; however, Sally was surprised when she opened the door and found Henry sitting at the table, his head in his hands. She dumped her bag, took off her coat and sat down beside him.

"Henry, are you okay?"

He looked up and smiled a sad smile. "Hey, how was work?"

"It was fine, but something's defiantly wrong, what is it?" she asked him slipping her arm around his shoulders.

He sighed. "It's Azan."

"What about him? Is he alright?" she asked concern showing in her tone.

"He's been excluded from school, apparently, he assaulted another pupil. They didn't hear his side of the story" he said, anger rising into his voice. "And do you know why? Because he was too ashamed of what that little git said to him!"

Sally's face was contorted with worry. "What did he say?"

"He told him that his parents and friends left him because he was too ugly" Henry told her.

"He didn't!" she gasped in shock.

"Well he did" said Henry bitterly. "I'm going to the headteacher tomorrow, this can't happen."

"I'm going with you" said Sally determinedly.

"You don't have to."

She looked at him steadily in the eyes. "Look, Azan is like a son to me, I _want_ to."

He gave her a smile. "Thanks."

"Do you remember when we adopted him?" she asked.

"Yes, and I'll never forget" he said with a smile.

"It's strange to think of how he's changed in these last four years" she commented.

"Yes, he's a lot more confident now" Henry agreed. Then he sighed. "I just hope this doesn't make him change back."

Sally squeezed his hand. "If we support him, it won't."

They stayed silent for a moment, just enjoying each other's company when Sally spoke. "You're a good father to him."

Harry blushed slightly. "Thanks and you're an excellent mother to Kayla."

It was Sally's turn to blush now. "Thanks and Azan has been like an elder brother to Kayla."

"Yeah" Harry agreed. "It's almost like they're brother and sister."

They didn't speak after this; they just looked into each other's eyes and through that, saw their souls, so similar – almost a mirror of each other.

* * *

Back on the beach Heather had finished telling Raymond her dilemma. He had listened respectfully, but now she felt a little awkward.

"What do you think I should do?"

He thought for a moment then asked "Does your friend usually beat up people for no reason?"

Heather shook her head. "It's just not like him."

"And you say that your cousin has been known to bully people, do you think it's possible that he's been picking on your friend?"

Heather tried to restrain from crying. "Yes" she whispered.

"I think you should find out from your friend why he hurt your cousin then decide who is more wrong."

"How can I see him after this!?" Heather exclaimed.

Raymond thought for a moment, he ran over the description that Heather had given him of her friend. "Is your friend's name Azan?" he enquired.

Heather looked at him strangely. "Yeah, how do you know?"

"I'm Cady's fiancée."

"Oh!" Heather exclaimed.

"I could take a message for you" he suggested.

Heather nodded. "Please tell him that I need to meet up with him. Maybe tomorrow on this beach."

"What time?"

"Do you think five be okay?"

Raymond nodded. "Yes it will be fine. I'll tell him."

"Thank you so much. Seriously, you don't know how much this means to me!"

He studied her tone. "I think I do, he obviously is very special to you."

Heather didn't know how to respond to this. She stood up. "Well, I'd better be going home now. Thank you Raymond."

"My pleasure. I hope things go well between you and Azan tomorrow."

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**I'm not too happy with the ending and it's a bit rushed, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway! I'll be uploading chapter seventeen as soon as I can (aka, once I've written it). :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Well, after a long wait, here is chapter seventeen. I'm not too proud of this chapter, but hopefully the next one will be much better. Anyway, enjoy! :)**

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**Chapter 17**

When Heather got into school that next morning, everyone crowded round her desk in form.

"Is Aaron alright?" they asked her.

"Yes, he's fine" Heather replied shortly. She wasn't really sure, but she knew that if she said that he was unconscious, they'd say something against Azan and she couldn't bare that.

"Well, I think he brought it upon himself" came a voice from the back of the room.

Everyone looked round in shock to see who had spoken against Aaron, one of the toughest guys in school. It was Olivia Robinson. She sat back in her chair relaxed as anything.

Josh strode over to her desk and stood over it threateningly. "What did you say?"

She looked up at him defiantly. "I said," she began as pulled her black studded arm warmers up. "that he brought it upon himself."

"That retard Azan battered him up! He's a fucking psycho who should be locked up."

"Josh, leave Azan alone" came Heather's quiet voice.

"What?"

Olivia sighed. "How many times do we have to repeat ourselves? Don't you see? It's not Azan whose the problem – it's Aaron!" she exclaimed.

"How do you mean?" Olivia's friend Amira enquired.

Olivia turned to her. "Didn't you hear what he said to him before he battered him?"

Amira thought for a moment. "Yes… vaguely."

"Alright, he called him, but firstly he didn't deserve to get beaten up and secondly, it's what we were all thinking, let's be honest here" Josh argued.

"Not to me" said Heather. Her tone was quiet, but filled with meaning. She looked him directly in the eyes, his hard and cold, hers sad and loving. "He isn't ugly, sometimes you just need to look harder to find the beauty in some people."

"But he beat up your cousin! You can't defend him!" Laura exclaimed.

"Listen," said Heather, her voice rose enough so that everyone in the room could hear it, but her tone remained calm. "Azan was wrong for what he did to Aaron, I admit, but it was Aaron who started it and I'm not just talking about yesterday. From the beginning of term (and probably even before then) Aaron has picked on Azan. I have hung round with Aaron and seen what he's done – not just to Azan, but other kids in this school too. I kept quiet because I wanted to be cool and fit in, but if that is being cool, I don't want to be." She was shaking slightly, she was not very confident, but she had to do this; to her there was no choice. "Now, I will go to the head this break and tell him what really happened yesterday as well as all the previous times. If anyone wants to come with me they are welcome." She looked around expectedly.

"We'll go" said Amira and Olivia.

Heather smiled warmly at them. "Thank you ever so much."

* * *

Halfway through the first lesson in the school Henry and Sally drove up outside it. They got out, locked the car and strode determinedly and confidently to the head teacher's office.

They were told to sit down in the waiting area.

"You know what, I'm a little nervous" Henry admitted. "I just never thought that I'd be having a meeting like this with a headmaster of a secondary school."

"I thought that if I did go to one it would be about Kayla, not Azan" said Sally.

"Well, let's just concentrate on trying to get Azan out of this."

The school secretary came out of the office. "Mr. Brither and Mrs. Fairworth, the head master's ready to see you now."

Sally nodded at her civilly as if to say 'thank you', but really she felt annoyed at the apt decision of the school. She and Henry walked in.

The head master was sitting at his desk wearing a grim expression on his face. He indicated for them to sit down on the two seats in front of his desk. They sat down coldly.

"Do you have any idea what happened yesterday?" Henry asked him as soon as they had sat down.

"Well, I have talked to the class about it and they say that it was Azan who assaulted the other pupil."

"Yes, but Azan wouldn't do this for no reason. Do they tell you why he assaulted the other pupil?" Sally asked, she was trying to remain calm, but it was proving almost impossible.

"They just said that he attacked him and Azan himself admitted it" the headmaster replied.

"Well, I spoke to Azan after and do you know what he told me?" Henry began.

The head master leaned forward; he looked worried now. He was beginning to think that he had misjudged Azan.

"He said that Azan was abandoned by his parents and that he was too ugly for anyone to love" Henry told him. These words were almost spoken through clenched teeth.

The headmaster gasped. "What?!" He had known Aaron for so long, but he hadn't known that he was capable as saying something as cruel as that.

Henry nodded grimly. "That's what he said. I don't think you realize how hard it was for Azan to go to this school in the first place, we were planning on him being homeschooled because it was easier, but it was Azan who wanted to be normal – like the other kids his age. He hasn't told this to us before because he was afraid that we would pull him out of school."

The headmaster took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes, sighing sadly. "They never do tell. But unfortunately, unless someone actually can confirm Azan's story, I can't punish Aaron."

Henry sighed, but he saw the headmaster's point.

"Look, I'll go into his form today and ask everyone what they saw again. It could be that they were lying because they felt that they wanted to protect Aaron."

"Well, I hope for Azan's sake they tell the truth this time" said Henry grimly. He and Sally stood up. "Thank you."

"I'm sorry I can't do more, but if it turns out that Azan's story is true, I may be able to shorten the time off, but I won't be able to get rid of it entirely" he told them.

With heavy hearts, both Henry and Sally accepted this.

* * *

Heather saw Harry and Sally heading to their battered old red car in the visitors carpark. She glanced uneasily at the empty chair next to her where Azan would have usually sat. She should have been concentrating on the reasons for the Wall Street Crash, but all she could think of was Azan. She was stuck on the harder questions and naturally, had turned to him for help – only to find that he wasn't there and be reminded of the whole episode with Aaron, one that she would rather forget. It made her even more determined to go to the headmaster with Olivia and Amira at break.

* * *

She was so relieved when the bell for break rang; at once, she leaped out of her seat and mde her way towards the office of the headteacher. On the way she met Amira with Olivia.

"I'm really nervous" Heather confided.

"I think we all are" said Amira.

They arrived at the big bleached wooden door that was the entrance office of the headmaster.

"I'm too scared to knock!" Olivia whispered, sounding frightened.

"It's okay, I'll do it" said Heather confidently.

She rapped strongly on the door.

"Come in!" came the voice of the headmaster.

Heather pushed open the door.

The headmaster wore a look of surprise on his face; it was evident that he hadn't been expecting a pupil. "Sit down" he told them.

There were only two chairs so Heather led Amira and Olivia sit down first.

The headmaster leaned forward, his hands clasped on his desk. "So, why did you come to see me?" he asked them.

"It's about Azan and Aaron sir" said Heather.

The headmaster looked at them. "Please, do go on."

"Well, we didn't tell the truth yesterday when we were asked what happened – no one did" Olivia told him.

"Yes, Aaron started it" continued Amira. "You should have heard what Aaron said to him."

"And **what** was that?"

"That, that, he was so ugly thSWeat his parents abandoned him and that he had no friends – or something like that" Heather told him.

The headmaster opened a draw in his desk and pulled out a sheet of file paper and a biro. He wrote something on it. "And all of you heard this comment?" he asked them.

They all nodded in response.

He noted something else down on the paper, then looked up. "Thankyou for this, we may actually be able to do something about it now" he said to them. He smiled at them brightly. "Thanks for coming!"

They left each feeling a little better, especially Heather even if she was nervous about her meeting with Azan after school.

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**I hope you enjoyed that chapter, please review!!! :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Okay here's a new chapter, hope you enjoy it! :)**

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Chapter 18

Azan pounded down the stairs and into the main living area of Resurrection House. Raymond who was sitting at the table reading a book on art and drinking a glass mug filled with a steamy, dark-coloured liquid, looked up.

"Hey, nice to see you down here" he said with a grin.

"Thanks – what's that your drinking?" he enquired.

"Hot coke" he replied. "You should try it sometime" he commented when he saw Azan's disgused expression.

"Maybe" said Azan. His gaze drifted to the sky outside the window; the sun was shining and the sky was a variety of different shades of blue.

"So," Raymond begun. He placed his book down on the wooden table. "I heard about what happened in school the other day" he said.

He looked at Azan hoping to get a reaction, but even though Azan flinched, he continued to stare out of the window and merely replied "I don't want to talk about it."

"And I'm fine with that" Raymond told him. "However, I met Heather."

He watched Azan's reaction carefully. This time his gaze focused on Raymond. "Where?" he enquired.

"When I landed on the beach yesterday; she was just there" he replied. "She was crying" he added.

"Oh," Azan's sounded almost like he didn't care, but Raymond had seen this in him before.

"She told me to tell you to meet her on the beach at five o'clock this evening" he informed him.

Azan sighed. "Look, she won't like me after what I did, so, what's the point?"

Raymond looked him straight in the eye. "Because she cares about you."

Azan gave a grim laugh. "She's popular – her cousin's the most popular guy in school! Why would she like me?"

Raymond shrugged. "You've spent more time with her than I have, you should know – just think about it." He saw sighed Azan's doubtful expression out of the corner of his eyes. "Just talk to her, please?" he begged.

Azan sighed. "Yeah, alright" he said grudgingly.

Raymond picked up his book, a gentle smile on his lips.

* * *

Heather crossed the graveyard in a rush and hurried down to the beach; she pulled her phone out of her pocket and glanced at the time – it was already five past five.

When she got to the beach Azan was already there; he was wearing all black and his shoulder length black hair was blown in the wind, making him look like a ghost of darkness. Her heart raced – she wanted to leave, but she knew that she couldn't. She had to talk to him. "Azan" she called.

He turned round. She had never been so glad to see him as she had that moment.

He turned to face her. "So, what did you want to say?" His tone was cold.

"Let's sit down" she told him gently.

They perched on a rock.

She turned to him. "I am really, really sorry for what I said about you and your family. I didn't mean it, I swear!" she said to him. "I mean, okay, your family are a little weird, but in a good way" she said quickly. "Please, please, please forgive me!"

He nodded. "If you really mean it."

"Yes, yes, I do!" exclaimed Heather, nodding furiously.

"But, what are you going to do now?" he asked her. "My family don't like Aaron and I'm assuming that your family don't like me!"

She took a deep breath "Look, this is not going to be easy and I know that everyone says that you should stay with family in these situations" she told him.

He nodded understandingly. Heather was about to speak, but Azan stopped her. "Wait! Before, you go on, I just want to tell you that I am deeply sorry for what I did for what I did to Aaron. Please, forgive me Heather?" he pleaded.

A soft smile touched her lips. "Yes – what Aaron said was horrid and he was the one to start and and the one who deserves to be punished" she told him.

Azan observed a new confidence surrounding her (in her aura as Sally would say).

"So, me, Olivia and Amira have gone to the headmaster in the hope that he'll overlook your punishment and stop Aaron" she told him.

Azan was amazed. He thought that Heather had come over to tell him that she would have to choose Aaron over her. He was glad of her decision, yet one question still burned in his mind. "But, how will you cope? I mean, I battered your cousin, what will your family think of me?"

She refused to look him in the eye. "I don't know" she replied honestly. "But, you know that night in the graveyard? That night when we kissed?"

"I'll never forget!" Azan exclaimed.

"I feel the same – and that's why we are going to make this work" she told him, this time gazing into his eyes.

He reached forward with his hand and gently placed it on her cheek. "Yeah, somehow, we'll find a way."

"I know love will find a way" she whispered.

He chuckled, glad that he was able to identify quotes from _The Lion King II: Simba's Pride_.

"I think I should go back now, sorry it's just that Aaron comes home tonight and I promised that I'd be there to greet him."

"Don't worry, I understand."

"Thanks, I'll talk to him and make him understand that he's not in control of my life anymore" she said determinedly.

She slipped her arms round him and they kissed. The wind blew, mingling their hair into a protective bubble around them sending them into a private world.

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I'll try and update as soon as I can, hope you enjoyed it. Again, please, please review! :)


	19. Chapter 19

**Okay, here's chapter 19 where Heather tells Aaron and her family about her and Azan...**

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Chapter 19**

Heather rapped onto the door of her aunt and uncle's house. It felt like her heart was in her stomach, she dreaded this visit, yet strangely, wanted to see Aaron again and see if he was alright. She sighed – the whole situation was complicated.

The door was opened by her uncle. "Hello Heather, come in!"

Heather smiled at him and wandered into the hall. She slipped her bag off her shoulder and let it fall onto the floor.

Her uncle turned to her. "Do you want a drink of anything?" he enquired.

"No thanks, I just want to see Aaron."

He nodded with approval. "He's just in the living room, with your aunt and dad" he told her.

She opened the door to the living room and walked in; Aaron was lying on the sofa propped up by several, his duvet cover over him. His face was slightly bruised and there were a few cuts, but he was looking much better than when she had last seen him. Her aunt and dad were sitting on the opposite sofa.

"Are you alright?" she asked him.

"Yeah, I'm fine" Aaron replied.

Heather sat down next to her dad.

"I've got some good news for you Heather," her aunt began. "The boy who did this to Aaron has been excluded."

Heather's began to fiddle with her bracelet. "That's good news" she replied stiffly.

Her aunt looked at Aaron. "And he just attacked you?" she asked in disbelief.

Judging from Aaron's expression, she had asked it many times before.

"Yes, completely unprovoked, just started punching me" he told her airily.

"It's strange," Heather begun, determined to stand up for Azan a little. "Because, he's so quiet and gentle – it's totally unlike him" she said.

Aaron looked at her in surprise.

Her dad sighed. "Well, it's always the quiet ones."

Heather was about to argue that point, but she decided not to, sure that it would make it much harder for her to talk to Aaron about Azan later.

Her uncle popped his head round the door. "The tea's ready, how about we head into the kitchen to drink it and leave Aaron and Heather to catch up with school stuff" he suggested with a grin.

"Okay" said her dad.

They got up and walked into the kitchen. Heather pulled up a small stool and perched on it.

"So, how did school go?" Aaron asked.

"Fine" Heather replied. "And I made two new friends."

"Who?"

"Olivia and Amira" she told him.

"Oh, they're the ones who sit at the back aren't they?"

"Yes."

"So, any more news?" he asked her.

How could she tell him about Azan?

"Well, there is something…" she begun.

A smile spread across his face. "Go on…"

"I've got a boyfriend" she told him.

He grinned widely. "Who is it?"

She looked at her hands which were folded round each other in her lap. "Azan."

"What!?" Aaron gasped.

"I like Azan" she told him, a small amount of defiance creeping into her voice.

"But, what is there to like about him? He's ugly and weird – he's a spaz!" Aaron exclaimed.

"No he's not! He's a kind boy who respects and cares for me!" Heather exclaimed angrily.

Aaron was about to comment when his mother poked her head through the door. "Is everything alright in here?" she asked.

"Heather's going out with the guy who battered me" he told her.

She looked at Heather in shock. "Heather! Is this true!"

Heather sighed. "Yes it is – but it's not as bad as it sounds" she replied truthfully.

"Pete!" she called.

Heather's dad walked into the living room. "What is it?" he enquired, sounding concerned.

"Maybe Heather would like to tell you" her aunt said, her whole voice was tinted with anger.

Heather bowed her head, avoiding all eye contact. "I'm going out with Azan who beat Aaron up" she told him.

Her father didn't seem outwardly shocked; instead, he commanded quietly: "You have to end it."

This was going to be the hardest part – she knew how sensitive Azan was about his appearance so she couldn't tell them what Aaron had said to him. She hadn't been there, but she trusted Olivia and Amira to tell the truth. "No."

"What!"

"I said 'no'." She stood up. "I'm going home" she announced, a bitterness hung in her voice as she walked out into the hall, swung her heavy bag onto her left shoulder and left shutting the door firmly behind her.

* * *

Outside on the streets now, on her way home, she began to wonder if she had done the right thing. The shocked expressions upon the faces of her dad and aunt seemed to say 'no', yet when she remembered all the times that she had spent with Azan and felt sure that she had made the right decision. She wanted to be with Azan.

Before she could stop herself, she had pulled her phone out of her bag and dialled his number.

"Hello?" came a voice at the end.

It was a great comfort for her to hear him. "Azan, it's me, Heather."

"Oh, Heather! How did it go?"

She sighed. "Not that great" she replied.

"Not great?"

"Well, I told my aunt and dad that I was dating you and they asked me to stop it so I said no and left – I'm on my way home now" she told him.

"Do you want to come over to mine tomorrow?" he enquired, concern was beginning to creep into his voice.

"Yes please, thank you."

"It's fine – I like having you round here."

Heather smiled; some of her worry had faded now. "I can't wait."

"Neither can I, see you tomorrow."

"Alright, bye. Love you!" She exclaimed, then hung up before he could reply, somehow it felt better and more proper that way.

* * *

When she got home she walked straight up to her room and sat on her bed, worrying about what would happen when her father came home. She tried to read and listen to music, but it didn't work, in the end she just sat on her bed, waiting and brooding.

When the front door finally banged open, she came out of her world of brooding, ready to face the fire.

"Heather!" her father bellowed.

He was angry. Even though Heather had been expecting this, she froze on her bed. She had to reply. She promised herself that she would not give in, no matter what. "What?" she yelled back grumpily.

"I think you know what; now come out of your room so that we can discuss this properly" he told her.

"I won't stop seeing him!" she replied.

"Heather," he was right outside her door now. "You must."

"No" she replied defiantly.

"If you don't break up with him – I will ground you for a week" he told her.

Heather had been expecting this. "Alright, do that" she managed to sound confident even though she didn't feel it.

"Well, that's fine then!" her father exclaimed angrily.

Heather heard him moving down the stairs. She breathed a sigh of relief.

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Okay, I'll try and upload chapter 20 as soon as I can. Please remember to review! :)**


	20. Chapter 20

**Here's chapter 20 where Heather sneaks out to see Azan. Enjoy! :)**

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Chapter 20**

Fully dressed, down in the hall, Heather's hand rested on the door handle ready to turn it.

"And just where do you think you're going?" came the voice of her father.

Heather turned round; she was not going to let anyone stop her from seeing Azan.

"Out" she replied shortly.

"You're going to see him aren't you?" he asked angrily.

"Yes, I am."

"You can't you're grounded."

"Well, what are you going to do about it? You can't stop me." Then, without stopping to hear his reply she opened the door and walked out. 'Look mum,' she said to her mother's spirit. 'I know I'm behaving like a brat, but I honestly can't think of anything better without telling them what Aaron said to Azan.'

* * *

She walked down the roads to Azan's; on the way she came across Laura and Josh.

'Shit!' she thought when she saw their stony faces, twisted with hate.

"You betrayed your own cousin!" Laura exclaimed.

"Just leave me alone!" Heather yelled at them and carried on. She couldn't wait till she got to Azan's.

* * *

Resurrection House towered above her, yet it seemed welcoming and friendly. She rapped on the door.

Azan answered it at once. "Hi!" he exclaimed brightly. "Come on in!"

Heather walked in. "You know what, you are the most friendly person I've met since school!"

He laid his hand gently on her arm. "Come on, let's go into mine and Leo's room and you can tell me about it" he told her. "By the way, Leo's out with friend" he added when he saw her worried expression – it was clear that he was the only one at the moment whom she wanted to share her troubles with.

* * *

His room was covered with books as usual and a pile of clothes lay askew on the floor. Azan rushed to move them, a hint of redness creeping into his face. "Sorry!"

Heather smiled gently. "Don't worry – I do it too." Her eyes floated to the mirror which had a blanket thrown over it.

Azan (who had kicked the clothes under the chest of draws) sat down on the bed. Heather sat down next to him.

"Okay, you can tell me anything."

"Yesterday, I went to see Aaron and we talked and well, as you know, I kind of let it slip about you and me. Oh, and that me, Olivia and Amira told the head about what he said to you." His hands tightened at this. She slipped her hand on top of his. "I'm sorry, I know that you didn't want him to know, but I had to tell him, but I didn't tell my family."

He nodded understandingly. "I need to learn to live with it" he told her with a grim smile.

"I can help you – we can do it together" she said.

He nodded again. "How do you think you'll manage with Aaron?" he asked.

Heather shrugged. "I don't know." She slipped her arms round his neck and pulled herself close to him. His arms closed round her; in his grasp she felt safe. "Somehow, we'll manage – I don't know how, but we will" she whispered into his ear.

"Yes, and if it ever gets too much for you, you're always welcome here" he told her.

"Thanks."

"Oh!" Azan exclaimed suddenly. "Would you like a drink? Sorry, I didn't think to ask you when you came in."

"Yes please, I would love one" Heather replied with a smile.

He walked out of the room; Kayla was standing on the landing in her pyjama's. "Morning Azan!" she exclaimed brightly. Her expression darkened when she noticed Heather behind him. "Oh, you're here."

"Look Kayla, Heather is sorry for what she said" Azan told her.

"She shouldn't have said it."

Heather stepped forward; instead of avoiding eye contact, she looked Kayla directly in the eyes. "Kayla, I am genuinely sorry about what I said and, well, I wish that I could take it back, but I can't please, forgive me. I really, really do mean it" Heather told her.

"Yeah, but how do I know you're telling the truth? Those are just words."

"Kayla – she chose me over her family – not just her cousin and she's in trouble for being friends with me" he said to her, determined to convince her that Heather genuinely had changed.

Kayla leaned against the wall, a half smile on her lips and a slightly inquiring look in her eyes. "You're not 'just friends' are you?"

Azan looked down at the ground. "No, um, actually, we're kind of, well – boyfriend and girlfriend."

"I knew it!" she exclaimed.

"So, are we okay now?" Heather asked.

"Well, if what Azan told me is true, then yeah, we are" she replied.

Heather grinned at her and she grinned back. Just then, she noticed a loud noise floating up the stairs from the main living area. "What's that?"

Azan listened. "It sounds like two hairdryers blowing at the same time on maximum" he replied sounding confused.

"Let's check it out!" Kayla exclaimed.

* * *

When they got downstairs, they were met by a very surprising sight: Sally was moving a hairdryer over the mantelpiece – they could see piece of dust flying up from it, however, the stranger sight was Raymond who was running a hairdryer over a plate of cooked sausages.

"Um, what are you two doing?" Kayla enquired, shouting over the noise.

"I'm dusting the mantelpiece!" Sally yelled.

"The electricity doesn't work, so I have to heat up these sausages with the hairdryer!" he yelled in reply.

Sally's switched off her hairdryer.

"What?" Raymond enquired when he realized that everyone was staring at him strangely.

"Raymond, was that why you did a degree in art rather than science?" Azan enquired jokingly.

"What?" Raymond looked at his hairdryer then switched it off. "Hang on – hairdryer's need electricity to work, so, if it works, then … THE ELECTRICITY WORKS!!!" he exclaimed suddenly.

"Well done" said Sally with a sarcastic clap.

"Sally," Heather begun.

"Yes?" said Sally. "Oh, I didn't know you were here, hi!"

"Hi. Anyway, if you ran that hairdryer over a dusty chandelier, it would look like the beginning of Phantom of the Opera."

Sally thought for a moment. "Hang on!" she exclaimed and she ran upstairs.

Azan turned to Heather. "So, do you want tea?"

"Yes please, no sugar" she replied.

Sally ran back down the stairs. "Sorry!" she panted. "I can't find my old mini chandelier! I'll look for it later and we can recreate the opening of Phantom of the Opera!"

Heather's eyes grew wide with amazement. "Really?"

Sally nodded.

"It sounds a bit sad and geeky, but fun" Kayla commented.

"Well I can't wait" said Heather.

"Heather, do you want to see our dormouse sanctuary?" Kayla asked her.

Heather looked confused.

"It was Azan's idea" she told her.

"Oh." Heather looked at Azan; he blushed.

"Well, I just heard from Sally that dormice were an endangered species, so we thought we'd start a sanctuary for them on the edge of the graveyard" he told her.

Heather gave a slightly odd look, but this was followed by a smile. "Sounds cool, but wouldn't the kitchen be a better place because it's warm and there's less chance of them freezing to death" she suggested.

"It was originally" Sally told her. "But Cady is afraid of mice."

"Yeah!" Kayla with a laugh. "She jumped on top of the table! Oh, speaking of which," she said turning to Azan. "Is it true that when you're home alone you stand on top of the table?" she asked him.

He avoided eye contact, blushing slightly. "It feels like a stage!" he argued.

"Yeah, I've done that in the past – I know it's weird, but it does feel like a stage and it is fun" Heather said to back him up.

Sally checked her watch. "Okay, I've got to be in work soon so I'm going to have to go now" she told them. "Bye guys!" She grabbed her coat and left, shutting the door firmly behind her.

"Bye mum!" said Kayla

"Bye Sally!" exclaimed Azan and Heather at the same time.

Kayla went and sat on the window seat and gazed silently out the window. "Azan?" she said after a few moments.

"Yes?

"The camera on your phone's very good isn't it?" she enquired.

"Yes, it is quite good…" he replied

"Can we take some photos of the dormouse sanctuary later please?" she asked.

"Yeah sure, but my phone will need recharging first though – Heather, could you do me a favour please?"

"Yeah, anything" said Heather with a smile.

"Could you rush up to my room and get my phone – it's in the pocket of the black coat hanging up" he informed her.

"Okay, I'll get it." Heather was about to go upstairs when she stopped. "Azan, why have you got a coat in your bedroom?" she asked sounding confused.

"Well, it's just that if there's a fire and the way out is blocked, I may need to jump out of the window. If that happens, I won't be able to get my coat from in front of the front door and I don't want to be cold" he told her.

"So basically, when your house is burning down, you're worried about being cold?" she enquired sounding even more confused.

"Yep, that's it" he replied.

Heather thought for a moment. "That sounds sort of reasonable." She left to go upstairs to get his phone.

* * *

**I'll try and upload chapter 21 as soon as I can! Please remember to review! :)**


	21. Chapter 21

**This is my new chapter and it's my first update in several months, I'm afraid it's not very long, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! :)**

* * *

**Chapter 21**

Heather could see the coat hanging up. She put her hand into the right pocket, dreading what could be inside it. Aaron's was always full of sticky old sweet wrappers. She was pleasantly surprised to find that it was clean, then her stomach shrunk as her hands closed around a scrap of paper. Dreading finding out what it was, she pulled it out. She was relieved to find that it was a piece of paper, screwed in a ball. The words 'music scholarship' stood out. Carefully, she smoothed it out it and read it carefully.

'A scholarship to a music college?' she thought to herself. 'Why did he want to throw it away?' she wondered.

Heather laid it on his bed and reached into his other pocket and pulled out his phone.

"Azan! I've got your phone and it appears to be nearly fully charged!" she called down to him.

She hurried downstairs clutching the phone in her hand. She clattered into the kitchen and over to Azan. "Here's your phone" she said handing it to him.

"Thanks" he said as he took it from her and placed it on the work surface.

"Azan?"

"Yes?"

"Can we go up to your room for a moment, there's something I want to ask you" she said to him.

He looked concerned. "Certainly." He turned to Kayla. "We'll be back in a moment."

She nodded understandingly.

Azan led Heather up into the room that he shared with Leo and closed the door. "What's up?" he asked anxiously.

"Okay, when I was looking for your phone I found this." She picked up the heavily creased piece of paper from the bed and handed it to him.

He took it, his hands were shaking slightly.

"Why did you screw it up?" she asked.

He sighed. "It's pointless – I'd never get into that college and even by some miracle I did, what good would an a-level in music do? I'd never be given a job, I don't look the part" he said bitterly.

Heather was silent for a moment, unsure of what to say. Then she had an idea. "You could try and get into college, get the qualifications then go on Britain's got Talent! Once they hear you, they'll have to let you in and it's not about appearance on there anymore" she told him, she was desperate to prove to him that he could become famous despite his daunting appearance.

He looked at her in a funny way. "You really believe I can do it, don't you?"

She gave a nod. "Definitely." She slipped her hands over his shoulders and pulled him close in an embrace. "Please, I _know_ you can do it!" she whispered gently in his ear.

He sighed. "Okay, I'll do it – but only so that I can say I tried."

"Of course" Heather replied with a smile.

They wandered downstairs to find Kayla playing tetris on Azan's phone. She looked up. "Can we go and take the photos now please?" she asked impatiently.

"Yeah sure" said Azan.

"What if we scare them?" Heather enquired.

"We swear, return here and come back later" Kayla replied cynically.

Azan and Heather pulled their boots and coats on and all three of them set across the graveyard towards the sanctuary. The only sounds were the birds singing and the sound of the wet grass brushing against their leather clad feet. Heather had been obedient in the past and it was rare for her to do anything against one of her parent's, but now she was openly defying her father and for once, she didn't care because she felt that she was doing the right thing.


	22. Chapter 22

**Hi! Another Chapter, I think I'm really getting back into writing this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter and as usual, any feedback is welcome. :)**

* * *

**Chapter 22**

Back at Heather's house, her dad was sitting at the kitchen table absolutely mystified about what had passed earlier with Heather. She was usually so good, why had she disobeyed him? He sunk his head into his open hands. He had to think about this logically, most of the time, Heather was reliable and sensible, he knew that sometimes even sensible people showed signs of being irresponsible. Maybe it was worse this time though, she was dating the boy who put her cousin in hospital.

He glanced up at the picture on the wall of Heather and her mother, Naomi. They both wore wide grins and just looking at it made his lips twitch into a smile. He and Naomi may have separated years ago, but they both kept in contact for their daughter and now she was gone. She had a democratic attitude to parenting and always heard Heather's side of the story, even when she was very little.

He would have to do the same; it had been important when she was a child, but now she was almost an adult and at any rate old enough to make her own decisions and he would have to hear her out.

He was about to pull out his phone to call her, but he decided to wait until she returned, sure that she was with her boyfriend. He slipped his phone back into his pocket, hoping that he was doing the right thing.

* * *

Heather, Azan and Kayla returned to Resurrection House their cheeks red and their mouths bearing smiles. They had seen the mice in the sanctuary and even managed to get a few photos on Azan's phone. They had gone for a walk on the beach and collected some shells too. Heather felt much better now, she had spoken to Kayla and she really felt that they had sorted out their differences.

When they got back, they found that the house was not empty as they had expected it to be. Cady was building a sculpture with a man whom Heather was surprised that she recognised. It was the man from the beach. He smiled at her, glancing down at her hand which was wrapped round Azan's making her blush slightly.

"Hi Heather!" Cady exclaimed brightly, scarcely even aware that they had fallen out.

Heather smiled and nodded in reply.

"Hi Reggie" said Azan to Raymond; he turned to Heather. "Heather, I know you've met Reggie."

"Yes, we have" she said slowly, still pondering over the nickname.

"But you don't know my nickname, well basically Cady started calling me Ray when we started going out and everyone else caught on and started calling me Ray too, but ray was just her nickname for me so she started calling me Rayie" he explained.

"But it sounds a bit like 'reggie' so that was his new nickname and now only I call him Ray" she finished the explanation and laid her hand on his arm fondly.

"Well, it's nice to meet you _Ray_" she said. She gazed intently at the sculpture. "What is that?" she enquired with great interest.

"A landscape" Cady replied. "We wanted to do mountains and valleys with unusual houses in them."

Azan, Heather and Kayla crowded round the half completed model; the mountains were beginning to take shape forming beneath the touch of their creators. They cut holes into the faces of the mountains, creating a miniature hamlet of houses.

Heather observed them carefully and the intricate little details that the added. "Do you mind if I draw some of them?" she asked.

"Sure, maybe you could improve it, you can do a lot more with drawings than you can with clay" Cady suggested.

Kayla went upstairs and came down clutching a book; she sat in the window seat reading, Heather borrowed pencils and a sketchbook from Reggie and began to copy the sculpture whilst Azan sat on the sofa strumming out a melodic tune on his guitar.

This peaceful atmosphere continued until Sally bustled in from the day at the library along with Henry and Leo.

The intellectuals and artists greeted them then went back to their pursuits. Leo joined in with his writing, glad to be in an environment that was rife with inspiration.

"We have to go and do some shopping" Sally told them.

"I'd better help you" Henry offered.

"Yes, that would be much appreciated" she said with a smile.

And they left almost as suddenly as they had came.

Strange glances resonated round the room.

"Anyone know what that was about?" Leo asked.

"Well, a while ago my mother and Henry started going to tango classes together" Kayla stated.

"So, you're saying…" Azan commented.

"Nothing, just stating a fact" Kayla interjected.

A silence fell over them. No one was sure what to say and none of them anted to make a comment on the matter.

"It's cold, can we light a fire please?" Kayla asked.

The fire was lit by Cady; Reggie produced a bag of marshmallows and they began to toast them. Heather felt like she was with real friends now, she could say anything she wanted and no one would think it outlandish and her opinion mattered. As it began to get dark she came to dread the time that would come where she would have to go back home for the evening.

She stayed for dinner, then Sally and Azan drove her back to her home.

* * *

She pushed the door open cautiously. As a result of not wanting to face the wrath of her father, she was relieved to find that the hall was empty. She tried to sneak into her room make as little noise as possible so as not to get noticed by her father. It was in vain.

"Heather?" came the familiar voice.

Heather turned round gingerly to find her dad standing in the doorway of the living room. "Yes?"

"Come in here and sit down" he commanded, but his tone was gentle.

Encouraged by his seemingly calm tone, Heather wandered into the lounge and sat down on the chair in the corner. Her father sat down on the chair opposite her. They were face to face.


End file.
